HC Deb 18 June 1894 vol 25 cc1348-9
COLONEL LOCKWOOD

I beg to ask the Financial Secretary to the War Office if he will state what compensation has been paid to the relatives of Bennie, Suckling, Ingram, and Frost, the victims of the late explosion in Waltham Abbey?

*THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY TO THE WAR OFFICE (Mr. WOODALL,) Hanley

Mrs. Suckling has been granted a pension of £14 7s. 2d., with a gratuity of £10 for her child. Ingram's widow has a gratuity of £127 19s. l0d. for herself and children. A pension of £10 6s. 11d. has been awarded to Mrs. Frost, with a gratuity of £17 for her children. No claim has been made on behalf of Bennie's relatives.

COLONEL LOCKWOOD

Will any claim from the relatives of Bennie be admitted?

MR. WOODALL

Certainly it will be considered.

MR. HANBURY

Is the hon. Gentleman aware that, in consequence of the utter inadequacy of the allowances made by the Government, these unfortunate people have to depend upon public subscription?

*MR. WOODALL

No, Sir. I have said on former occasions that, while we do not at all deprecate the exercise of private benevolence towards these unfortunate people, we will take care that their claims on the Government are recognised.

COLONEL LOCKWOOD

Is the Secretary of State for War correctly reported to have said to the deputation that waited on him on the subject—of which deputation I was a member—that the Government would reconsider the whole question of pensions.

*MR. CAMPBELL-BANNERMAN

No, Sir. What I said was that the pensions given in these cases are not given by the War Office or on any War Office scale, but are given by the Treasury according to the universal scale applicable to all such cases. I said that I would inquire whether there was any reason for reconsidering the scale, and I pointed out that the Government had shown their feeling in the matter by putting a clause in the Employers' Liability Bill last year bringing all those employed under the Government within the same conditions as applied to ordinary workmen in civil employment. I also pointed out that, although the explosions at Waltham are necessarily of a very sensational kind, yet these accidents are constantly occurring in all public works of every sort, and must be dealt with according to a uniform scale, irrespective of their somewhat sensational character.

MR. HANBURY

But does the right hon. Gentleman say that it is within the competency of the Treasury without Parliamentary sanction to increase the scale?

*MR. CAMPBELL-BANNERMAN

I did not say so.

MR. HANBURY

But can the Treasury do so?

*MR. CAMPBELL-BANNERMAN

I am not sure whether the actual scale is laid down by any Parliamentary sanction, but I will inquire into the matter.