§ MR. LEESE (Lancashire, N.E., Accrington)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for War what the term of service is which now entitles soldiers, under the Royal Warrant, to a deferred pension upon attaining the age of 50?
§ *MR. CAMPBELL-BANNERMANUnder the Royal Warrant of 1848 soldiers were entitled to be registered for a deferred pension of 4d. if they had served 14years and had two good conduct badges. This Warrant was cancelled in 1864, and no soldier enlisted after that date is so entitled. I regret that in answering a question by the hon. and gallant Member for Colchester (Captain Naylor-Leyland) on the 25th ultimo, I failed to observe that, in referring to this old Warrant, 1715 he spoke of 12 years as the qualifying period; it should have been 14. All soldiers of 14 years' service now serving, if invalided under certain conditions, or on reduction of Establishment, are entitled to an immediate pension of 8d. and upwards, according to rank and service.