GENERAL SUMMARY. 1. Total number of beneficiaries.-The total number of persons in receipt of pensions or allowances from the Ministry of Pensions on the 31st March, 1928, was about 1,584,850, comprising approximately 24,900 officers, 1,065 nurses, 488,600 men, 144,600 widows, 415,000 children, and 510,685 other dependants. The number of beneficiaries continues steadily to decline as the result of such natural causes as re-marriage of widows (about 2,500 in the year), children reaching the pensionable age limit of 16 (about 65,000 in the year), and deaths (about 27,000 in the year), these numbers being in excess of new admissions to pension. 2. Staff. During the year under review, a reduction of 1,698, or about 18.6 per cent., was effected in the staff of the Ministry, which numbered at the 31st March, 1928, 7,432, being approximately 24,500 less than in 1920 when the staff was at its maximum. 3. Expenditure. The total expenditure of the Ministry during the year was approximately £59,800,000, being about £3,392,000 less than the previous year. Administrative expenses declined to about £1,516,000, which is equivalent to 6d. to every of benefit expenditure, as compared with 1s. 3d. in the £ in 1920. Medical expenditure also showed a decline, corresponding with the diminished demand for medical and surgical treatment, while the decrease in pensions, etc., amounted to rather less than 4 per cent. 4. First Awards.-3,807 first awards were made during the year, mainly to widows and dependants. All unsuccessful applicants who were entitled to appeal to the Pensions Appeal Tribunals have been informed of this right, and afforded every facility in exercising it. 5. Medical Boards.-The number of examinations by Medical Boards continued to decline, the total being 46,127, as compared with about 90,000 during the previous year. 6. Medical and Surgical Treatment.-There was a continued decline in the demand and need for medical attention only 66,609 courses of medical or surgical treatment being required during the year as compared with 96,715 during the previous year. The total number of patients undergoing a course of treatment on the 31st March, 1928, was 11,873. 7. Hospitals and Clinics.-The decline in the need for treatment, referred to in the previous paragraph, enabled the number of institutions for in-patient treatment under the direct control of the Ministry to be reduced during the year from 46 to 44, and the number of Ministry clinics for out-patient treatment to be reduced from 72 to 35. Throughout the year civil hospitals and clinics continued to be used where available, especially for outpatient treatment. 67819 A 2 8. Artificial Limbs and Appliances.-The supply of artificial limbs and eyes, surgical appliances of various kinds, all of the latest and most efficient types, was continued throughout the year, at the end of which there was 36,493 pensioners for whose artificial limbs the Ministry was responsible. The total number of artificial legs supplied by the Ministry now exceeds 114,000, and the number of artificial arms 28,000. voluntary service 9. War Pensions Committees.-The rendered by the members of War Pensions Committees and the Voluntary Workers associated with the Committees continued to form a notable element in the work of the Department and a valuable link between the Ministry and its clients. The plan of holding meetings of Chairmen of small groups of War Pensions Committees, at which the Minister or the Parliamentary Secretary presided, has been continued with successful results. 10. Statistical tables are given in the Appendices. AWARDS OF PENSIONS, &C. 11. New Invalidings and Discharges.-During the year 40 decisions were notified in respect of first claims on invaliding or discharges of men from the services. Of this number 28 cases were granted awards and 12 were rejected. 12. Article 9 Claims.-The number of claims under Article 9 made by men after discharge which were decided during the year was 2,966, of which 1,312 were accepted and 1,654 were rejected. 13. Final Awards.-During the year 16,873 final awards to men were notified; 3,695 appeals to the Pensions Assessment Appeal Tribunal were lodged, and 3,440 appeals were decided by the Tribunals. 14. Service Allowances.-Under the Service Disability Warrant of 26th August, 1922, and corresponding Orders in Council, service allowances may be awarded in addition to disablement pension to men invalided during the Great War who had completed a specified period of service, and were serving on an engagement which, if completed, would have entitled them to a service pension. The total number of service allowances in issue on 31st March, 1928, was 2,709. 15. Former War and Pre-War Disabilities.-The total number of awards in payment to men in respect of such disabilities on 31st March, 1928, was 8,376 including: (a) 2,916, increases under the Royal Warrants and Orders in Council in connection with the Pensions Increase Acts of 1920 and 1924. (b) 2,635, re-assessments under other Royal Warrants and Orders in Council. 16. Widows and Children.-Approximately 1,800 pensions were granted during the year to widows and motherless children of men. A large proportion of these awards were in respect of pensioners who died of their war disabilities more than seven years after their discharge or demobilisation. As stated in the previous report, a scheme was introduced at the close of last year whereby part of the pension of a motherless child who is in employment and earning wages between the ages of fourteen and sixteen may be reserved and accumulated by the Ministry, with interest, with a view to a sum being available for the child's benefit when pension ceases. Since its inception, the provisions of the scheme have been applied to approximately 2.300 cases. The deductions from pension have been arranged so as not to cause hardship to the children or their guardians, and the experience already gained indicates that the scheme will operate to the material advantage of the children concerned. The money is at present mainly in process of accumulation, but withdrawals have been sanctioned, in some instances, for purposes incidental to the child's employment, e.g., the provision of tools, purchase of a bicycle to enable the child to go to and from work, purchase of an outfit, &c. The War Pensions Committees and their Voluntary Workers are acting in close co-operation with the Ministry in administering the scheme, and the success which has already been achieved is mainly due to their efforts. 17. Parents and Dependants.-Approximately 1,100 pensions were granted during the year to parents and dependants of deceased men. Many of these, in respect of men who were killed in action or died of wounds in the War, were granted to parents who, by reason of advancing years, had become incapable of self support and in need. 18. Adjustment of Retired Pay of Regular Officers according to Cost of Living.-A further adjustment of the 1919 rates of service retired pay and half-pay was made by the Service Departments with effect from 1st July, 1927, and a corresponding adjustment had to be made in the disability retired pay of officers whose rates consisted in part or whole of such service retired pay or half-pay. This review involved the examination of 2.814 cases. 19. Issue of Pensions.-The volume of work in connection with the payment of pensions showed but little diminution, and the number of allowance forms, payable orders, money orders and postal drafts used in effecting payment exceeded 51 millions as in the previous year. The number of communications received in, and despatched from, Pension Issue Office during the year considerably exceeded 7 millions. The year was specially marked by the introduction of a new method of paying pensions, under which identity certificates. 67819 A 3 have been abolished, and the pensioner instead holds a book of pension orders for presentation at the Post Office weekly for payment. This change of method will result in substantial economies of administration, both in the Post Office and the Ministry, estimated to amount to over £100,000 a year. 20. Pensioners Overseas.-The number of Imperial pensioners overseas at the end of the year was about 29,550, having increased by over 1,100 during the year as a result of emigration. Payment of pension in these cases has been duly maintained during the year, through the efficient co-operation of the Dominions Pensions Authorities, Colonial Treasurers, Consular Officers, and others who act as the Ministry's agents in their respective countries. MEDICAL BOARDS, TREATMENT, ETC. 21. Medical Boards.-The total number of examinations carried out by Medical Boards during the year amounted to 46,127, a reduction of 39,417 on the previous year's total. Of this total, the Boards specially constituted with a view to consideration of a final award, examined 34,563 cases (4,739 officers and 29,824 other ranks), while Re-Survey Boards and Boards for the examination of Article 9 claims were responsible for 11,564 cases (816 officers and 10,748 other ranks). These figures fall short of the previous year's totals by 26,299 and 13,118, respectively. 22. In-patient Treatment.-There has been a further decline, as in recent years, in the number of disabled men for whom the Ministry find it necessary to provide in-patient treatment. This decline, which has been most pronounced in neurasthenic and general medical cases, has been accompanied by a corresponding reduction in the special facilities provided by the Ministry for in-patient treatment. Two institutions of this type have been closed, and the total bed accommodation has been reduced by 576. At the end of the year the number of institutions (including hospitals under the direct control of the Ministry) reserved for the in-patient treatment of War disabilities which could not be adequately provided for otherwise was 44, with a total bed accommodation of 6,049. 23. Mental Diseases.-There has been no change in the general arrangements for the treatment of the insane, and the inspection, by the Ministry's mental specialists, of the service patients in the various County and County Borough Mental Hospitals has been continued. 24. Out-patient Treatment.-A substantial decline in the number of cases requiring out-patient treatment has again occurred during the year. This decline, coupled with the fact that the number of civil institutions, to which pensioners could on occasion conveniently be referred for out-patient treatment on the basis of a capitation payment by the Ministry, still remained approximately the same, has rendered it practicable to reduce from 72 to 35 the number of clinics specially established and maintained by the Ministry for the provision of out-patient treat ment. 25. Artificial Limbs.-During the year under review 5,205 artificial legs were issued, and of these 3,404 were light metal legs. The corresponding figures for the preceding year were 7,674 and 5,829 respectively. Artificial arms Artificial arms were issued in 1,106 cases, that number being somewhat higher than in 19261927, when 1,080 arms were supplied. The bulk of the total supply of 6,311 limbs represented renewals of previous issues ; 196 were, however, supplied in respect of post-discharge amputations, of which there were 114 during the year. Repairs to artificial limbs were effected in 51,149 cases. Various improvements have been made during the year in design and construction. At the end of the year the total number of pensioners, including officers for whose artificial limbs the Ministry is responsible, was 36,493. 26. Surgical Appliances.-17,249 pairs of surgical boots were supplied during the year, 730 of these being first issues, and the remainder renewals. In addition, 27,877 pairs of surgical boots were repaired. Other surgical appliances, such as leg and arm instruments, belts, trusses, special supports, aural appliances, etc., were supplied in 12,323 cases, 2,308 being first issues; and in 2,139 cases repairs were effected. The demand for surgical boots and appliances remains fairly conArrangements have been made with firms in various parts of the British Isles for the supply, at agreed rates, of surgical boots and appliances, and for their repair. 27. Artificial Eyes and Spectacles.-4,574 artificial eyes were fitted. In 600 cases the eye was of a special nature. Spectacles were supplied to 354 pensioners, 80 being of a special type for cases of facial injury or of greatly injured vision. In addition, the Ministry supplied on behalf of other Government Departments 139 eyes, and 838 pairs of spectacles. 28. Hand-propelled Tricycles and Invalid Chairs.-First issues of 91 hand-propelled tricycles and 128 invalid chairs were made during the year to seriously disabled pensioners, and 132 tricycles and 10 chairs were renewed. Improvements have been. made in the design and construction of tricycles during the year. 29. Supplies to Institutions, etc.-The number of institutions supplied during the year with food, laundry and transport ser |