§ MR. W. BENN (Tower Hamlets, St. George's)To ask the Financial Secretary to the War Office if his attention has been called to the case of Cornelius O'Grady, who was discharged from the Royal Artillery, London Division, in 1885 with a pension of 10d. a day, which pension was afterwards awarded for life; whether he is aware that subsequently the pension was reduced to 6d. a day and deduction made in respect of the 10d. which had been previously paid; and will he say what was the reason for the deduction, and whether the full 10d. can be granted to O'Grady, or a compassionate allowance, in view of his advanced age, and the permanence of an injury to his elbow received while in the service.
(Answered by Mr. Buchanan.) Cornelius O'Grady was discharged on 21st July, 1885, after serving for five years and eight months, in consequence of an accidental injury to the right elbow joint. The Commissioners of Chelsea Hospital at the time of O'Grady's discharge appear to have regarded the case as one of "injury on duty," and awarded 402 him 10d. a day for fifteen months conditional. At the end of that period (i.e., in October, 1886) the pension was made permanent. In November, 1886, the Comptroller and Auditor-General challenged the rate, as the man had not been performing military duty when the accident took place, and the pension had to be reduced to 6d. from the date of the commencement of the permanent pension, involving the recovery of the excess for a period of about seventy days. It is regretted that the pension of 10d. a day cannot, under the regulations, be granted to O'Grady; but all the circumstances of the case are being thoroughly investigated.