§ Mr. FINNEYasked the Minister of Pensions whether his attention has been called to resolutions passed by a meeting of the British Legion N. S. District Council, Tunstall, Stoke-on-Trent, strongly protesting against the new Regulations issued by the Minister of Pensions with reference to the special diet allowance to disabled ex-service men, under which only men suffering from pulmonary T. B. and diabetes are allowed to make application for a renewal of the allowance, and strongly pressing the Minister of Pensions to immediately cancel the Regulation, which, it is alleged, will cause much privation and suffering; and whether he will consider the matter with a view to removing the restrictions complained of?
§ Major TRYONThe provision of special diet was introduced to meet abnormal conditions in regard to food supply which no longer obtain, and at a time when the pension scale was considerably lower than at present. The new instructions were not issued without the most careful consideration by my right hon. Friend, in full consultation with his 1679W medical advisers; and he is satisfied that the revised procedure entails no hardship or harmful consequences from a medical point of view to the pensioner. I may acid that the concession forms no part of the Royal Warrant, and recent investigations showed that there had been considerable abuse of the old Regulations.