§ Mr. MILLSasked the Minister of Pensions the percentage of appeals which are unsuccessful in the six months ending June as compared with the six months corresponding in previous years: and 1708W whether, in these appeal cases, he will consider the utilisation of a specialist in each case rather than a general medical practitioner?
§ Sir E. POLLOCKI have been asked to reply. I cannot give the figures asked for in the first part of the question for the reasons given in my reply to the hon. Member for Workington (Mr. Cape) on the 14th March last. In answer to the latter part of the question, the Regulations governing appeals to Entitlement and Assessment Tribunals empower them, in any case involving a difficult medical or surgical question, to send the appellant to be examined by a specialist who shall report to the tribunal or to take the opinion of a specialist upon a case stated to him.