Part of the debate – in the House of Commons at 12:00 am on 31 May 1945.
I am aware of that. The hon. Member for Gorbals (Mr. Buchanan) is invariably sympathetic to anyone who is in my unfortunate position. After all, he fears he might be in the same position himself some day.
I think it is not any part of the case which hon. Members have made to-night, that men in this category should continue to receive 'Service emoluments for a very-long period if they obviously cannot be sent back to active service. To argue that case would be to argue that the rates of pension laid down in the Royal Warrant are inadequate, and that obviously is not a matter for the War Office but for the Minister of Pensions, and it can obviously be discussed on the Pensions Vote. The case with which I am now dealing is a much more difficult one, in which finality is not reached for a considerable period, and in which it cannot be established whether the man ought, in fact, to go back to active service or not.
During that time the man would be undergoing treatment in an Army or Ministry of Pensions hospital. It is in respect of those difficult cases that the complaint lies. The Regulations provide that, generally speaking, a man should continue on Service rates of pay for eight months, which, I understand, may be extended under different conditions to nine months in the case of psychotic illness, where further detention in a Government hospital may avoid the necessity of certification. I had to ask what "psychotic" meant. I understand that it covers a general group of mental cases. The period may also extend, in cases where artificial limbs have to be fitted, until they are fitted. It has been decided, after full consideration, that tuberculosis cases may also continue on Service emoluments for eight months, where men are receiving treatment in civilian or military hospitals.
I hope that that may be some reassurance to the hon. Member for Ince (Mr. T. Brown). The period of eight months, during which Service personnel may in these circumstances be kept on full pay, represents a considerable advance on the previous practice. I am informed that until October of last year a soldier undergoing treatment in a Government hospital could be discharged from the Army 28 days after he was found to be permanently unfit. That was found to be much too short a period. The period was extended to 56 days, and on 1st March, 1945, to eight calendar months after his first absence from duty. I think hon. Members will realise that this matter has been very carefully examined, and these concessions have been made as a result of that examination.
In all these cases, there is a dilemma, to which I have already referred. It may become clear at a very early stage that a man may never be fit for active service again. But to revert him over-hastily to pension rates would be to treat rather shabbily those who have sacrificed their health to their country. That is very well understood in the War Office, and it is a consideration which is always borne in mind. It seemed, therefore, that the only thing to do in these cases is to fix a period, more or less arbitrary, after which the Service pay gives way to pension rates. The War Office has drawn the line at eight months, with a possible extension in the case of the psychotic patients, or in cases where artificial limbs have to be fitted, which was referred to by one hon. Member in the Debate. I think hon. Members will understand that the whole matter has been very carefuly reviewed, and that these further concessions are realty substantial concessions, which the House should welcome.