§ Sir E. Graham-Littleasked the Secretary of State for Air whether he is aware that a ruling has been given that plastic surgery patients under treatment in R.A.F. hospitals must be automatically discharged from the hospital when they have completed two and a half years' treatment, without regard to their medical condition 23W at that date, and are thenceforth classified as civilians and lose their service rates of pay for the remainder of their treatment; and whether he will amend this ruling.
§ Mr. P. Noel-BakerThere has been no ruling that these patients must be discharged from hospital, when they have completed two and a half years' treatment, without regard to their medical condition. The present rules permit the issue of pay and allowances for a period of up to two and a half years, which may be extended to three years in exceptional cases. I am considering the application of this rule to the plastic surgery cases now under treatment.