§ MR. LENG (Dundee)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for War whether he can state the number of compassionate allowances or special pensions which will be granted to soldiers who served in the Crimean and Indian Mutiny Campaigns and are now infirm; and whether it will be sufficient if they are in necessitous circumstances, although not in such destitution as to require parish relief?
§ MR. HANBURYWhat steps are being taken to make known the fact of these pensions being available for soldiers?
§ MR. CAMPBELL-BANNERMANJudging from the number of applications received they are pretty well known. The number of additional pensions of this class to be awarded is at present under consideration. As regards the degree of destitution which will qualify for a pension I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply I made to one of his questions on February 9—namely, that though the word scarcely admitted of a general definition, it would be interpreted in a humane spirit by the Commissioners of Chelsea Hospital according to the merits of each case.
§ MR. PARKER SMITH (Lanark, Partick)Will the right hon. Gentleman withdraw the word "destitute," which is in itself offensive?
§ MR. CAMPBELL-BANNERMANCertainly, if the hon. Member will give me a better term.