§ Sir G. Foxasked the Secretary of State for War whether, in the case of officers and men who are discharged from the Army as permanently unfit, but still have to undergo hospital treatment, he will consider paying them their normal rates 1262W of pay until such time as they no longer require treatment.
§ Mr. LawsonIt was announced in February last that no member of the Forces undergoing in-patient treatment in a Service or E.M.S. hospital would in future foe discharged from the Service until at least eight calendar months, including 56days' notice leave, had elapsed from the date of his first absence from duty on account of disability.
It has now been decided to extend this rule in three respects in cases of injury or sickness contracted during the present emergency. Firstly, the rule has been extended to cover all cases of personnel undergoing medical or rehabilitative treatment under Service arrangements, even if this treatment is not being given in a Service or E.M.S. hospital. Secondly, the period of terminal leave, at present 56 days plus overseas service leave, will date from the end of the, eight months' period or from the date of discharge from hospital if earlier. Thirdly, it has been decided that, in order to obtain the full therapeutic value from the treatment given under Service arrangements, personnel who are suffering from disabilities attributable to or aggravated by service will be retained on Service pay until medical or surgical finality is reached, within an overriding time limit of 2½ years.
It will not be possible to apply these rules retrospectively, but, where individuals who would have been covered by them have passed from Service pay to disability pension and are undergoing in-patient treatment under the Continuity of Treatment arrangements, an ex-gratis supplementary allowance will 'be granted with effect from a current date. The allowance will represent approximately the difference between the amount at present paid to them by the Ministry of Pensions and their appropriate Service pay and allowances.
Mr. Lloydasked the Secretary of State for War whether he is aware of the discontent among soldiers who were discharged from the service while still in hospital, prior to 1st March 1945, at the failure to grant to them the concession granted to soldiers discharged after that date that they should remain on service pay for a minimum period of eight months after admission to hospital; and whether, in view of the comparatively 1263W small cost involved, he is prepared to grant this concession to men discharged during the two years prior to that date.
§ Mr. LawsonI would refer the hon. and gallant Member to the reply I gave today to the hon. and gallant Member for Henley (Sir G. Fox).