HC Deb 11 December 1945 vol 417 cc374-6W
Mr. Renton

asked the Minister of Pensions whether he is aware that the Service Departments' assessment of cases as attributable has sometimes been changed by his Department to aggravated, without further medical evidence; and whether, in view of the disadvantageous consequences of the assessment being changed to aggravated, he will take steps to ensure that no such change is made without full inquiry and examination of medical evidence including the report of the claimant's own specialist medical adviser.

Mr. Wilfred Paling

It is already the rule that changes from attributability to aggravation or from aggravation to attributability should not be made without full inquiry and careful examination of all the medical evidence available. Only in very rare cases does the claimant produce at this stage a report from a private specialist.

Mr. Renton

asked the Minister of Pensions whether he will give an assurance that, where a claimant for a pension has served for more than 12 months before any indication of tuberculosis was noted and that where there was no history of symptoms of, or disability from, tuberculosis disease before entering the Service, the disease will be admitted as attributable to service.

Mr. Paling

I would draw the attention of the hon. and gallant Member to the provision of Article 4 (3) of the Royal Warrant, which lays down that in the circumstances described the presumption that the disability is attributable to war service is to be given full weight. If the hon. and gallant Member has any particular case in mind I shall be glad to look into it.

Lieut.-Colonel Rees-Williams

asked the Minister of Pensions whether he is aware that when members of the Forces are sent to India extra pay is granted to them to meet their increased cost of living, but that an amount equal to this extra pay is deducted from the war service grants of their wives and families at home; and whether he will take steps to provide that no such deductions are made.

Mrs. Adamson

In the assessment of war service grants no regard is had to any "Far East Allowance" or "rupee concession" granted to men serving in India, and no deduction is made from the war service grant paid to wives on account of this allowance or concession. Paragraph 9 of Command Paper 6553 of September, 1944, provided, however, that in the assessment of war service grants the war service increments and Japanese Campaign Pay should be taken into consideration.