§ Mr. Steenasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the annual cost resulting from the establishment of the war pensions committee; how many people are employed on it; and what are their duties.
§ Mr. RossiThere are 81 war pensions committees. Their main functions are to consider and advise my right hon. Friend on matters relating to war pensions and to consider representations made by individual war pensioners. Each committee has up to 25 members, the services of a number of voluntary workers for visiting pensioners, and a member of the Department's staff, part-time, as clerk. Information about the cost of each committee is not available, but the estimated cost of all the committees in 1979–80 is £103,000.
§ Mr. Steenasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many doctors are employed full-or part-time by the Medical Board; and at what cost to the taxpayer.
§ Mr. RossiI understand that my hon. Friend is referring to war pensions medical boards. Doctors on these boards are employed by the Department on a sessional basis. Their work represents the equivalent of 14 doctors employed full-time. The estimated cost in 1979–80 was £130,000.