Veterans Affairs committee  With respect to the information required, it would be whatever credible evidence could be brought forward by the individual. It could be medical evidence. The representative of the applicant could bring forward whatever material would support it. It could be oral testimony or wit

Veterans Affairs committee  I believe I said 60% were PTSD, and 40% other...?

Veterans Affairs committee  Thank you, Mr. Chair. Good afternoon, honourable committee members. As the chair indicated, my name is John Larlee, and I am the chair of the Veterans Review and Appeal Board. With me today is Ms. Dale Sharkey, the director general for the board. I am happy to be here today, a

Veterans Affairs committee  Thank you for allowing us the time to appear here. We look forward to coming back again and discussing how our priorities are proceeding.

Veterans Affairs committee  With respect to our program delivery, we are very conscious of the anxiety on the part of the veterans or the clients, whether serving in the military or the RCMP, to have their decisions or to have their cases dealt with. From the time the file enters until we render a decision,

Veterans Affairs committee  It happens, and I think that all our tribunal members want the veterans not only to receive as much benefit as possible from all the information they are given, but also, if things are lacking when they leave, to understand what they require and that they do have the time to go o

Veterans Affairs committee  To answer the question, Mr. Chair, I would first like to say that our members receive training courses. When they start, they do not necessarily always have expertise in medicine, legislation or in writing decisions. There is a three-month training period for new members. But eve

Veterans Affairs committee  Do you mean many cases of post-traumatic stress disorder?

Veterans Affairs committee  Mr. Chairman, our caseload continues as it has in the past, and we deal with all applications for disability. It's not identified whether it's because of the charter, it's the situation of doing what we can to make sure our veterans, the military, as well as the RCMP, receive the

Veterans Affairs committee  As a body that reports to Parliament through the minister, we in our quasi-judicial role are providing the minister's office with our statistics, as we do this committee. In that aspect we're showing trends, I suppose, of not only our workload, but where we are in the country and

Veterans Affairs committee  Yes. What the board has done, and I think it has taken the lead, is that when we deal with cases as they come to the board at the first level, we have gone to technology to make the documentation for the parties. Those would be the pension advocate and the board members that hear

Veterans Affairs committee  The most common? Mr. Chair, if the member is asking what disability conditions are brought most before the board, those will be the back, the knees, the neck, hearing, and lastly, psychological conditions. If I recall correctly, one part of your question had to do with the crit

Veterans Affairs committee  That's correct, sir.

Veterans Affairs committee  The backlog addressed in 2006-07 was a result of a buildup of cases. The full complement of 29 board members, as permitted under the legislation, took the task of crossing the country and making sure that those cases were addressed. Not only were numerous cases heard, I believe

Veterans Affairs committee  Mr. Chairman, in addressing my response to the honourable member, I would point out that appeals are almost a fresh look at a case. The appeal panel is not necessarily bound by the previous decision, and neither are the revision hearings. So it is not a matter of their having to