Mr. Fraserasked the Minister of Pensions if he can explain the conditions under which a 100 per cent. disability pension is supplemented on grounds of unemployability.
§ Sir W. WomersleyThis supplement is given in cases where a pensioner, despite all available remedial measures, remains so severely disabled by his pensionable disablement as to be unlikely ever to resume employment. Nominal earnings up to 20s. a week are disregarded in determining unemployability.
§ Sir A. Baillieasked the Minister of Pensions how many cases have been brought to the notice of his Ministry of men who joined the Army as A1 but have since been discharged as medically unfit and suffering from asthma; and whether such cases are accepted as due to war service unless there is pre-war evidence of this malady having been suffered by the person concerned.
§ Sir W. WomersleyI regret that the figures asked for in the first part of the Question are not available and could not readily be obtained. Entitlement to pension for asthma depends on the circumstances in the individual case. If it is clear, having regard to the pre-war evidence and the clinical condition, that the asthma was not present prior to war service, pension is granted on the basis that the asthma was attributable to and not merely aggravated by service.
§ Major Nieldasked the Minister of Pensions how many applications for review of pension claims have been received by his Department since the amendment of the Royal Warrant; and in how many of such cases pensions have been awarded without recourse to the appeal tribunals.
§ Sir W. WomersleyUp to a recent date the numbers were approximately 33,000 and 9,000 respectively.