§ Sir J. COLLIEasked the Minister of Pensions what is the total expected annual cost of the administration of the current year of the Ministry of Pensions, divided into general, medical and local war pensions committees; what number of pensions, exclusive of widows, children and dependants, were receiving disability pensions on 1st. August, 1921, and on 1st February, 1922; what was the annual cost thereof, respectively; what is the annual expenditure incurred in respect of the medical boards for examining disabled pensioners; what is the amount of the salaries and fees paid, respectively, to whole-time medical officers and part-time medical officers engaged on this duty; how many whole-time medical officers were employed by the Ministry on 1st August, 1921, and on 1st February, 1922, respectively, and how many of these were engaged at institutions; how many disabled men who were in receipt of disability pensions on 1st August, 1921, have now ceased to draw pensions by reason of death, being settled by gratuity, or a final weekly allowance in lieu of pension, and of their disability having become less than 20 per cent.; how many disabled 907W men were in receipt of disability pensions of 20 per cent. and 30 per cent. during the year ending 1st February, 1922; how many three-men medical boards are now employed by the Ministry of Pensions; and what is the saving brought about by the substitution of two-men to three-men boards?
§ Major TRYON:The estimated total cost of administration of my Department (including Committees) for the financial year ending 31st instant is £4,180,000, of which £1,110,000 is for medical services. The cost of sessional fees for boarding during the current financial year is estimated at £450,000. Salaries of medical officers cannot readily be apportioned as between boarding and treatment duties. The number of whole-time medical officers employed on the dates mentioned were 632 and 605, of whom 315 and 289, respectively, were at institutions. The number of medical boards of any kind naturally varies from day to day according to requirements, but the average number of three-men boards is about 170 a day. All cases coming up for re-survey are now examined by two-men hoards, a change which effects a considerable economy. The statistics asked for in the second, third, seventh and eighth parts of the question are not available for the dates mentioned without considerable research, but I am sending the hon. Member copies of the last two Annual Reports of my Department, which will, I trust, provide him with information sufficient for his purpose.