§ Rear-Admiral Beamishasked the Minister of Pensions from what date payment will be made when a claim is admitted on review under the new provisions for entitlement laid down in Section 1 of Command Paper 6459?
§ Sir W. WomersleyAs I explained in a statement which I made in the House on 23rd July, 1942, where entitlement arises from a modification of the provisions or of the interpretation of the pension instruments the date of such modification is normally taken as the earliest effective date. This is the well-established practice, but in the present case, although the revised instruments have not yet been issued, I am giving effect to the change as from the pay day in the week beginning 16th August, 1943, as with other provisions of the White Paper.
§ Sir I. Fraserasked the Minister of Pensions whether he has yet reviewed rejected claims for war pensions in the light of the new proposals respecting the onus of proof and benefit of the doubt and with what result?
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§ Sir W. WomersleyThere has been a large number of applications for such cases to be reviewed on the basis of the revised standards of entitlement. It will take some time for these to be dealt with, but I am glad to say that, of those reviewed to date, quite a number have been admitted to pension.
§ Sir I. Fraserasked the Minister of Pensions when the Royal Warrant embodying the recent changes in war pensions will be issued?
§ Sir W. WomersleyA comprehensive Warrant embodying the recent changes in war pensions announced in Command Paper 6459 is in course of active preparation and I hope that it will be ready by the end of next month. The changes in question are being implemented in the cases now being dealt with by my Department, and in order to assist the operation of the new Appeal Tribunals I am requesting His Majesty to issue immediately an interim instrument giving formal effect to the new entitlement provisions set out in paragraph 6 of the Command Paper.
§ Dr. Littleasked the Minister of Pensions whether he will see that the doctor in County Down, whose claim has been brought to his notice, will receive adequate compensation for the attendance given and drugs supplied to the wife of a serving soldier during her illness?
§ Mr. PalingUnder the Emergency Grant Scheme referred to in Command Paper 6318, a grant can be made to meet medical expenses in respect of serious illness within a maximum of £10. A grant of this amount has already been authorised in the case to which the hon. Member refers.
§ Sir J. Wardlaw-Milneasked the Minister of Pensions whether the Government is prepared to raise the rate of pension to retired Service officers in view of the fact that since it was settled the cost of living has risen appreciably and that officers have to pay full Income Tax on any pension they may receive?
§ Sir W. WomersleyI am not responsible for the payment of the pensions in question but I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply given to the hon. and gallant Member for Petersfield (Sir G. Jeffreys) on 4th August, 1942, by the late Chancellor of the Exchequer.
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§ Mr. Rhys Daviesasked the Minister of Pensions whether he will he will take steps to make it possible for appeals to be made to pension appeal tribunals in respect of ex-Service men who suffer from mental troubles by acquainting their relatives or friends of their rights in this connection?
§ Sir W. WomersleyThe type of case to which the hon. Member refers was borne in mind when the Pensions Appeal Tribunals Act was being drafted and Section 9 provides that the statutory notice of the right of appeal can be sent to any person authorised to act on behalf of the claimant. The practice of my Department if the claimant is in a mental institution is to send the notice to the medical superintendent, asking him to see that it is sent to a suitable representative if the claimant is not able to attend to it. If no relatives or friends are known, the medical superintendent can himself act for the claimant. In other cases of mental trouble the notice is sent to the person who has conducted the claim with the Ministry.
§ Sir I. Fraserasked the Attorney-General when the recently authorised appeal tribunals will start functioning?
§ The Attorney-GeneralI would refer my hon. and gallant Friend to the answer I gave yesterday to the hon. Member for Wolverhampton (Mr. Mander).