§ 110. Mr. E. Johnsonasked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance the number of men pensioned at less than 100 per cent. rate for disabilities suffered in the 1914–18 war who have been medically examined during the past four years, in order to ascertain whether their disabilities have worsened in advancing years and now warrant a higher assessment; and in how many of these cases increases in assessment have been awarded.
§ Mr. Boyd-CarpenterAbout 20,000 and 6,200 respectively.
§ 111. Mr. E. Johnsonasked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance the number of men who are 100 per cent. disabled as a result of their 1914–18 war service and who do not receive an allowance for attendance, and the numbers of such men who have been medically examined during the past four years to ascertain whether they deserve an attendance allowance.
§ Mr. Boyd-CarpenterThe answer to the first part of the Question is 10,762. As regards the second part, I regret that the information asked for is not available but during the period 1st January, 1957, to 30th September, 1959, about 1,750 disablement pensioners of the 1914–18 war were medically examined to ascertain whether they were entitled to constant attendance allowance and 670 of them were awarded the allowance.
§ 112. Mr. E. Johnsonasked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance why all men disabled in the 1939, and later wars, are medically examined at regular intervals to ascertain whether their condition has improved or worsened; and why the ageing disabled of the 1914–18 war are not regularly 113W examined to ascertain whether their disabilities, borne for more than forty years, now warrant some increase in assessment, and/or some supplementary allowance.
§ Mr. Boyd-CarpenterThe answer to the first part of my hon. Friend's Question is that, as he will be aware, awards in respect of service since 2nd September, 1939, are on an interim basis and pensioners are therefore subject to periodic medical boards in the light of which their assessments can be varied upwards or downwards.
Pensioners of the 1914 war received in the great majority of cases final awards many years ago. The fact that these are final awards, while ensuring that they can in no circumstances be reduced, does not prevent me from awarding an increased pension in cases in which there is material and permanent worsening of the pensionable disability.
I do not think that regular compulsory medical boarding would be appropriate in these cases; if it were now instituted it might well arouse false hopes in some cases and certainly resentment in others. Steps are however taken to draw the attention of pensioners to the possibility of reviewing their assessments where unhappily their pensionable disability has become worse.
§ Mr. Bowenasked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance what special action he contemplates, additional to the printed leaflets recently issued to all war pensioners, to ensure particularly that the ageing severely disabled men of the 1914 war, whose pension assessments were fixed more than thirty years ago, now receive the fullest compensation for which they may be eligible, in the light of the present conditions and effects of their war disabilities.
§ Mr. Boyd-CarpenterAs I said in the reply I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Wycombe (Mr. John Hall) on 16th November, the problem of ensuring that pensioners receive all their entitlements is a continuing one, and my welfare officers, the war pensions committees and their voluntary workers, the ex-Service organisations, the Press and, last but not least, hon. Members all help to ensure that they do so.