Naval and Military War Pensions, &c., Act 1915

3 Functions of Statutory-Committee.

(1) The functions of the Statutory Committee shall be—

(a) to decide any question of fact on the determination of which the amount of a pension or grant payable out of public funds to a dependant, other than a widow or child, may depend ;

(b) to frame regulations for supplementary grants in cases where, owing to the exceptional circumstances of the case, the pension or grant or separation allowance payable out of public funds seems to the Committee to be inadequate;

(c) out of funds at their disposal, to supplement pensions and grants and separation allowances payable out of public funds, so, however, that no such supplementary grant shall be made except in accordance with such regulations as aforesaid ;

(d) out of funds at their disposal, to make grants or allowances in cases where no separation allowances or pensions are payable out of public funds ;

(e) out of funds at their disposal, to make advances on account of pensions or grants or separation allowances due to any persons, out of public funds during any interval before the payment thereof actually commences, or during which the payment thereof 'has been accidentally interrupted ;

(f) to decide, in any particular case, whether, as respects a wife, widow, child, or other dependant, any pension or grant or separation allowance and, as respects an officer or man, any supplementary grant has, under the regulations subject to which it was granted, become forfeited ;

(g) to decide, as between two or more claimants to any pension or grant or separation allowance, which, if any, of the claimants is entitled thereto ;

(h) to determine any other questions in relation to pensions or grants or separation allowances which may be referred to the Committee by the Admiralty or Army Council ;

(i) to administer any funds which may be placed at the disposal of the Committee by the Corporation or by local committees or by any society or other organisation having funds applicable to the making of grants of the nature of those which the Committee are authorised to make, or otherwise ;

(j) to make provision for the care of disabled officers and men after they have left the service, including provision for their health, training, and employment;

(k) to make grants in special cases for the purpose of enabling widows, children, and other dependants of deceased officers and men to obtain training and employment;

(2) The Statutory Committee may refer to any local committee for their consideration and advice any question pending before the Statutory Committee, and may request any local committee to collect and furnish them with any information they may require with respect to any matter, and may delegate to any local committee the distribution within their area of any grants made by the Statutory Committee, and may pay or contribute towards the payment of the expenses incurred by the local committee in respect of any of the matters aforesaid.

(3) For the purpose of making provision for the care of disabled officers and men, the Statutory Committee shall appoint a special sub-committee which shall include representatives of employers and of labour.

(4) Paragraphs (8), (9), (10), and (11), of the First Schedule to the [3 Edw. 7. c. 20.] Patriotic Fund Reorganisation Act, 1903 (relating to funds, accounts and audit) shall apply in respect of the Statutory Committee in like manner as they apply in respect of the Corporation.

(5) The Statutory Committee shall in each year make a report of their proceedings to His Majesty.

(6) Pending the appointment of a local committee or subcommittee for any area, the Statutory Committee may make arrangements with any organisation for the performance within that area by the organisation of the functions of the local committee mentioned in paragraphs (a), (b), and (c) of section four of this Act.

(7) For the purpose of enabling the Statutory Committee to discharge their functions the Admiralty and the Army Council shall on request supply the Statutory Committee with such particulars as they may require with regard to any payments made by them to any officer; sailor, marine, soldier, widow, child, or dependant, and the Statutory Committee may on request duly communicate all such and similar information to any charitable body legitimately interested in the case of any officer, sailor, marine, soldier, widow, child, or dependant.