§ Mr. LAWSONasked the Minister of Pensions whether he will furnish the names of the persons appointed to. 291W the Central Advisory Committee constituted under Section 3 of the War Pensions Act, 1921; on what dates this body has met during the last 12 months; whether the new regulations for War Pensions Committees were submitted for the Committee's consideration before being laid upon the Table; and whether the other alterations made regarding pensions and allowances during the same period were approved by this body?
Captain CRAIGWithin the past 12 months meetings were held on the 12th April and 13th July, 1922, and on the 28th February, 1923, and during the interim between the second and third of these meetings, when it was impracticable to arrange a meeting on account of the General Election, the advice of the Committee was obtained by correspondence on certain important proposals. The answer to the third part of the question is in the affirmative. As regards the last part of the question, it has been my policy and that of my predecessor to seek the advice of the Committee freely on proposals of sufficient magnitude or difficulty, and I may say that, amongst other matters, the Committee considered the Final Awards Regulations issued in provisional form towards the end of 1921, the new arrangements in connection with the time limit in Article 11 of the Royal Warrant, and the changes of organisation consequent on the establishment of new committees under the War Pensions Act, 1921
The following are the members of the Central Advisory Committee:
Non-Official Members.
Major C. F. Entwistle, M.C. (the hon. and gallant Member for the South-West Division of Kingston-upon Hull, member of the Regional Advisory Council of the Yorkshire Region).
Lieut.-Colonel Assheton Pownall, O.B.E. (the hon. and gallant Member for East Lewisham, member of the Regional Advisory Council of the London Region).
Lieut.-Colonel H. H. Spender-Clay (the hon. and gallant Member for Tonbridge, member of the Regional Advisory Council of the London Region).
Robert Young, Esq. (the hon. Member for Newton, member of the Regional Advisory Council of the North-Western Region).
292WLieut.-Colonel V. L. Henderson, M.C.
Walter Peel, Esq., O.B.E. (member of the Regional Advisory Council of the North-Western Region and member of the Liverpool War Pensions Committee).
Miss E. Kelly, C.B.E., J.P. (member of the Regional Advisory Council of the London Region and member of the Portsmouth War Pensions Committee).
Miss G. J. Trubshaw, C.B.E. (member of the South-West Wales War Pensions Committee).
Major-General Sir H. G. Ruggles-Brise, K. C.M. G., C.B. (British Legion). Lieut.-Commander Paget-Hett, R.N.V.R. (British Legion).
H. E. Giles, Esq. (British Legion).
R. F. Goldsack, Esq. (British Legion)
Official Members.
C. K. Murchison, Esq. (the hon. Member for Huntingdon). (Private Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Pensions.)
Sir George Chrystal, K.C.B., Permanent Secretary.
C. F. A. Hore, Esq., C.B., Principal Assistant-Secretary.
K. J. Milne, Esq., C.B.E., Assistant-Secretary.
Lieut.-Colonel H. L. Warden, D.S.O., Regional Director, Scotland Region.