HC Deb 13 April 1896 vol 39 cc738-9
MR. PATRICK O'BRIEN (Kilkenny)

I beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for War, whether he will consider the desirability of appropriating the £1,800 per annum, which it was proposed to give to His Royal Highness the Duke of Cambridge as a retiring pension, in providing pensions for the large number of soldiers who gave distinguished service in the Army and who are now inmates of the workhouses of Great Britain and Ireland and a burden on the rates?

*THE UNDER SECRETARY OF STATE FOR WAR (Mr. BRODRICK,) Surrey, Guildford

It has been explained recently in the House that pensions to soldiers with campaign service, but who have not completed the term of service entitling them to pensions, are being given in as numerous cases as can be at present justified; 1,047 special campaign pensions have been awarded in the last financial year, of which 214 were in the last three months. They will continue to be granted on the existing system, without reference to excesses or deficits on other Votes.

MR. PATRICK O'BRIEN

asked what was going to be done with the £1,800?

*MR. BRODRICK

said that if the £1,800 appeared on the Estimates he should be sorry to see the pensioners deprived of it, but it would be impossible, with such a sum, to start a new system which would involve, not £1,800, but probably £50,000 or £100,000.

MR. PATRICK O'BRIEN

asked if it was not the fact that an Estimate was put down on the Paper for this £1,800.

MR. J. H. DALZIEL (Kirkcaldy Burghs)

asked if, without the consent of Parliament, the money would be devoted to other purposes?

*MR. BRODRICK

said the whole Army Votes were available for other purposes if the whole of the sums voted were not expended. There were numerous cases in which excesses on Votes went back to the Treasury. But in the present case the simple position would be that the total Vote would be £1,800 short.

MR. SWIFT MACNEILL (Donegal, S.)

asked if the Under Secretary would agree to a return showing how many Crimeran veterans were in English or Irish workhouses?

*MR. SPEAKER

That is very remote from the Question on the Paper.