§ Mr. B. SMITHasked the Minister of Pensions whether his attention has been drawn to the case of Mr. George Stain-forth, late corporal, No. 101,456, Royal Army Medical Corps, Ministry Reference No. 6/MS/1,334, of 15b, Hillary Street, Walsall, who on discharge from the Army was found by the medical board to be suffering from a permanent disability aggravated by service; whether he can 1543W state the degree of disablement assessed by the military medical board; whether the man has been awarded a permanent pension on the military assessment; and, if not, will he state the reasons why the Ministry change a permanent assessment made by the military medical discharge board?
§ Viscount CURZONThe hon. Member has, I fear, been misinformed as to the facts in this case. The man referred to was not examined on demobilisation by a military medical board, but by a single medical officer. A permanent disability was not, in fact, diagnosed by him and the assessment given, namely, 50 per cent., was a temporary assessment for six months and not a permanent one. At no time since his demobilisation has Mr. Stainforth been recommended for a permanent pension. In these circumstances, the last part of the question does not arise.