§ Mr. HANCOCKasked the Secretary for Mines whether it is in order for a man to act as medical referee who has previously acted in the same case and in a private capacity for employer or employé if he so acts, is his decision as medical referee final and binding and the applicant debarred from going to any other tribunal; and will he appoint additional medical referees so that employers and employés may have a choice and better opportunities for going to a medical referee whose decision cannot be affected by any previous examination in that particular case?
1818W
§ Mr. BRIDGEMANMy hon. Friend has asked me to reply to this question. A medical referee under the Workmen's Compensation Act, 1906, is forbidden by the Act from acting as referee in a case where he has already been employed in his private capacity. If in any case a referee acted contrary to this prohibition, his decision, I am advised, would not be binding. I have no reason to think that the existing appointments are insufficient, but I am always prepared to consider carefully any representations as to the need of supplementing the arrangements for any particular district.
§ Mr. W. THORNEasked the' Home Secretary whether it is the intention of the Government to keep the present Workmen's Compensation Act in operation until the Government is prepared to introduce a new Bill?
§ Mr. BRIDGEMANAs stated in my replies to the questions asked on this subject on Monday last and on the 28th November, I am not in a position at present to make any announcement in this matter, but the Workmen's Compensation (War Addition) Acts are continued by the Expiring Laws Act until the end of 1923.