§ MR. WOOTTON ISAACSONI beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether his attention 386 has been called to the case of James Marks, mounted police officer of the N Division of the Metropolitan Police, who, about the end of November, 1887, was returning from duty in Trafalgar Square, when passing Shaftesbury Avenue his horse fell, causing severe injuries to his right leg, rendering him unable to do duty for five months, subsequently paralysis set in, which has compelled his retirement from the Force as unfit for duty, owing to the above injury, and a permanent cripple, on a pension of 8s. 1½d. per week only; and whether, under the lamentable circumstances of the case, he can see his way to increase the pension?
§ MR. ASQUITHThe pension to Constable James Marks, injured by the falling of his horse, was awarded under the Rules of the Secretary of State then in force. In the case of injuries received in the execution of duty the Rules made a distinction according as the injury was accidental or not, a distinction which has since been adopted in the Police Pension Act, and has, therefore, received the approval of Parliament. This case was considered to fall within the class of accidental injuries, and there was awarded to Marks the highest pension which under such circumstances the Rules permitted. The amount was smaller than it would otherwise have been, because the service of the constable was only one year and five months. This award could not now be revised without opening the door to numerous applications of a similar character with reference to pensions that have been granted in accordance with the Rules.