§ MR. THORNTON (Clapham)I beg to ask the First Lord of the Admiralty, seeing that the funds placed at the disposal of the Admiralty are not sufficient to discharge their obligations to certain sailors retired from the Royal Navy who are entitled to a Greenwich Hospital special pension, which became assured to them after serving in the Crimean War, 729 whether, in justice to these fast a going claimants, he will undertake that their case should be considered with the view of provision being made for them.
§ MR. MACARTNEYThe funds at the disposal of Greenwich Hospital do not admit of a special pension being awarded to every man who becomes eligible for it. By Order in Council of 31st December, 1886, all men who have been granted a war medal are eligible for Greenwich Hospital special pension, and it may be assumed that every survivor of the Crimean War who had genuine service in the Navy, is in possession of a medal, and is thus eligible for a special pension—these pensions were not, however, assured to men who served in the Crimea any more than to other men who have had war service, and are in possession of medals. As a matter of fact, the majority of the eligible men who have applied have been awarded special pensions before they have reached the age of sixty, but the main factor in deciding the award is the extent to which a man is incapacitated from contributing to his own support, and his circumstances generally.
§ MR. THORNTONWill the hon. Gentleman allow me to submit to him the special case on which this question is based?
§ MR. MACARTNEYMost certainly.