§ Mr. STRANGERasked the Minister of Pensions whether his attention has been drawn to the case of F. A. Bourne, of Eddington, Hungerford, Berkshire, who is suffering from tuberculosis, found in 1917, attributable to war service; whether he is aware that this man, who is a skilled engineer and has been a works manager, has been unable to obtain any work in his business in consequence of that service; whether, in view of the fact that he was recently awarded a pension on the basis of 20 per cent. disability, that pension will be made retrospective from the date of his last receipt of pension, namely, March 1923; and whether, in view of the fact that the man is quite unable to follow his avocation, the award may be increased?
Mr. ROBERTSI am glad to say that the disability in the case referred to has, as a result of a period of prolonged observation under expert supervision in hospital, been found not to be of a tuberculous nature. The current award has been granted for bronchitis with effect from the date of the man's claim as to the worsening of his condition. Disability pension is awarded in accordance with medical judgment as to the general condition of disablement, and not with reference to the loss of capacity in any particular occupation. I may, however, point out that in this case the award being conditional, the man has a right of appeal to the Medical Appeal Board if he considers that the award made does not represent the degree of disablement appropriate to his condition.