§ Mr. W. THORNEasked the Minister of Pensions if he is aware that a number of ex-service men pensioners have to lose time to attend at hospitals and other institutions for medical treatment; that in the case of the casual dock workers in London they have to be at a place of call for employment every morning; that to obtain an allowance for expenses and loss of remunerative time and to qualify for the recovery of any loss in connection with remunerative time it is necessary for the applicant to obtain a certificate signed by his employer that he lost a certain amount of time at a certain rate of wage per hour on a certain day; and that it is almost impossible for a casual worker to obtain such a certificate, which inflicts great hardship upon the casual worker; and if he is prepared to receive a deputation concerning the matter?
§ Mr. MACPHERSONThe difficulty which arises in these cases has received very careful consideration, and I am pre-406W pared to meet the exceptional position by accepting the required certificate from the pensioner's usual employer, instead of, as in other cases, from the actual employer. A further relaxation of the regulations is not regarded as practicable.