§ MR. ROCHE (Galway, E.)I beg to ask the Secretary to the Admiralty whether he is aware that Edward St. George, who was discharged from the Navy after twenty-one years service, during which he was present at engagements in China and other parts of the Empire, only got a pension of 1s. per day, although entitled to a full pension of 1s. 5d. per day; whether a promise was given that after this man left the prison service, in which he was after leaving the Navy, his case would be further considered; and, seeing that St. George has now been discharged from the prison service and has a large family depending on him, will he have this man's case reconsidered immediately with a view to increasing his pension.
§ MR. ARNOLD-FORSTERThe facts of the case are not correctly stated in the hon. Member's Question. St. George's service in the Royal Marino Artillery only entitled him to a pension of 1s. a day, and this was awarded him on his discharge in 1879. The additional 5d. mentioned in the Question is the Greenwich Hospital Age Pension, for which the man did not become eligible until sixteen years later. He was informed, as stated, 39 that he would be considered for this award on leaving the prison service, and in accordance with this promise an award was made in his case in January last, to take effect from the beginning of the coming financial year. The award could not, however, be communicated to the man until a day or two ago, as he had changed his residence and left no address behind him.