The areas of the committees were arranged in accordance with the scheme prepared by the Advisory Committee appointed by the Minister,* accessibility and density of population being the main guiding factors. In 134 instances the population of the area did not exceed 350,000, but in 25 instances it ranged up to 600,000, and in seven areas over that figure. The membership of the new bodies numbered 3,842, 106 of the committees having the maximum membership of 25 permitted by the Act, 59 committees having 20 members and one committee 12 members. Care was taken to see that committees were constituted as required by the Act; and in the appointment of representatives of various interests the local bodies concerned were invariably consulted. At the same time, every effort was made to distribute the members throughout the various districts in each area. The ready response of all classes of the community to the Minister's invitation to serve on committees was gratifying, and made it possible to appoint the large majority of the members of each committee by the date of its establishment. 45. War Pensions Committees Regulations.-In January, 1923, Regulations were made by the Minister for the exercise of the functions of war pensions committees as prescribed by the War Pensions Act, 1921, § and for the regulation of the committees' procedure. Each committee availed itself of the power given by the Regulations to appoint a general purposes sub-committee, to assist it in dealing with complaints, inquiries, and the distribution of grants; and also a children's sub-committee, (upon which three additional members could be co-opted), for the purpose of dealing with matters connected with the care of children. 46. Voluntary workers.-The Regulations require that committees shall take steps to submit for approval proposals in order to secure the assistance and co-operation of voluntary workers. A model scheme was drawn up and submitted to all committees, providing, inter alia, for enlisting the services of voluntary workers as "pensioners' friends" in their own neighbourhood. By the 31st March, 1923, 124 committees had adopted this scheme or an approved alternative, and had enrolled the services of 10,298 voluntary workers, of whom 7,848 were not members of committees. The number is being increased gradually, and every effort is being made, not only to maintain, but to increase the interest of voluntary workers in the Ministry's work. 47. Amalgamation of area staffs.-Towards the end of the year it was found necessary, because of declining activities, to combine two or more committee areas under one chief area officer. Six areas were thus combined and became three, the remaining *Fifth Report, para. 6. + Fifth Report, para. 9. The War Pensions Committee (General) Regulations, 1923 (St. R. & O., No. 67, of 1923). § See Fifth Report, para. 10. I.e., Northallerton and district combined with Harrogate and district : East Cumberland combined with West Cumberland; and North-West Wales combined with North-East Wales. three area offices becoming whole-time sub-offices. The change, while bringing about economy and aiding uniformity in administration, did not in any way affect the interests of the pensioners, nor was the position or the number of war pensions committees in any way interfered with. ROYAL WARRANTS, ETC. 48. The Ministry proposed no fresh legislation during the year under review, but certain changes affecting widows' and parents' and dependants' pensions were made in Royal Warrants. 49. Widows' pensions.-One of these changes was merely formal authority for a practice which had for some time previously been in actual operation. Article 11 of the Royal Warrant of December, 1919, which sets out the conditions governing entitlement in the case of widows, and is also the basis of entitlement for parents and dependants, made no specific provision for the grant of a pension in respect of the death of a man who had not made or sustained a claim to pension on account of the fatal disability, but in respect of whom, a continuous medical history of the fatal disability being shown, it could be certified that it was attributable to or had been aggravated by service. The amendment in question made provision for that class of case. 50. A further amendment substituted for Article 17 of the Royal Warrant of 6th December, 1919, a new Article under which the widow of a man who, at the time of his death, was in receipt of disablement pension assessed at 50 per cent. or over, may be granted a pension provided the crcumstances of the man's death and other conditions of the case justify a grant, and provided also that she would have been eligible for pension under Article 11 had the man's death occurred in the circumstances set forth in that Article. Thus, applications on behalf of widows or motherless children of men dying more than seven years after removal from duty or discharge may be dealt with under its provisions. Under the new Article the award to the widow may not exceed one-half of the disablement pension granted to the deceased husband, but allowances for eligible children, at the usual rates, are payable.* 51. Parents' and dependants' pensions.-An amended Royal Warrant was issued at the end of the year giving effect to the principle, referred to in the Fifth Report,t of a time limit for applications for dependency or flat-rate pensions in respect of deceased sons. The amendment provides that, as from 1st April, 1922, new claims to pension by parents and dependants can only be made on the ground of need combined with incapacity for self-support. The principle of the new Article 17 has been applied to the cases of officers' widows and children, and an amendment to the Royal Warrant for officers was under preparation at the end of the year. † Para. 25. 52. Service-disability allowances.-In August, 1922, provision was made by Royal Warrant for the grant of service allowances to men invalided during the Great War with at least fourteen years' service who, because of such invaliding, were prevented from completing the full period necessary to qualify for a service pension. In practice, however, the great majority of the awards authorised by the Warrant had already been made under covering authority previously obtained. During the year under review 202 such allowances were granted to men discharged as physically unfit, as well as in 14 cases where the man was discharged surplus to military requirements. The provisions of the Warrant apply to the latter class of case if the man during service suffered impairment which was disclosed as a result of examination by a medical board prior to discharge. 53. Final awards Regulations.-Amending Regulations as to the granting of final awards were also issued during the year. Their principal effect was to bring within the Regulations certain statutory final awards the inclusion of which, for administrative convenience, had been temporarily postponed.* MISCELLANEOUS MATTERS. 54. The Central Advisory Committee constituted under Section 3 of the War Pensions Act, 1921, met from time to time during the year for the purpose of considering and advising the Minister with regard to a number of matters of importance and difficulty, among which may be mentioned the Regulations governing the procedure of war pensions committees established under the Act of 1921, and various substantial changes of organisation consequent upon that Act. At a time when it was not convenient for the Committee to meet, advice upon certain matters was secured from the members by correspondence. The recommendations of the Committee are reflected in various regulations and instructions issued during the year. 55. The Standing Joint Committee for Ex-Service Questions, composed of representatives of Government Departments and ex-officers and men, continued in existence during the year. Six meetings were held of the panel at which matters concerning men who served in the ranks, and their dependants, are dealt with, and four meetings of the officers' panel. The whole committee met on six occasions. Discussion took place upon a large number of important matters affecting the interests of ex-officers and ex-service men and their dependants, on whose behalf the committee continued to render very useful service. 56. Publications and announcements. Notes on War Pensions, the first of a new series of handbooks for the guidance of war pensions committees, was published in March, 1923. It of the Final Awards Regulations appears as Appendix XV. to the А сору Fifth Report. + See Fifth Report, para. 13. contains the text of the several Royal Warrants, the Final Awards Regulations, 1922 and 1923, the Pensions Appeal Tribunals Regulations, 1922, and the War Pensions Committees' (General) Regulations, 1923; and explains the basis of pension rights, and principles of award, the procedure in connection with the establishment of claims to pension, and the various benefits of the Royal Warrants and Regulations.* During the year changes affecting pensioners were given wide publicity by means of announcements in the press, and the display of posters in local offices, and lists of addresses of the new area offices, were prepared and circulated among postmasters throughout the country for the benefit of pensioners or applicants making inquiries. 57. Officers' Group Committee.-The Joint Committee of representatives of the branches of the Ministry concerned with officers, which was instituted on the recommendation of the Departmental Committee of Inquiry of 1921, + held several meetings, at which much practical work was done. Among numerous subjects dealt with were publicity, the administration of pensions and provision of treatment in the Dominions, the procedure in regard to treatment allowances, and complaints brought to notice by the Officers' Friend. 58. The Officers' Friend branch of the Ministry was continued during the year, and was able to render a good deal of assistance to officers and their relatives. G. C. TRYON, Minister of Pensions. 6th November, 1923. *Copies of the Handbook may be purchased at a cost of 1s. |