§ MR. HAWORTH (Manchester, S.)To ask the Secretary of State for War how many Crimean and Indian Mutiny veterans there are in this country; how many of these are in receipt of pensions, end what is the maximum and minimum and average amount of such pensions; and how many of these veterans are in receipt of Poor Law relief.
(Answered by Mr. Secretary Haldane.) There is no information available to show how many Crimean and Mutiny veterans are now living in the United Kingdom. Further, it would not be possible to state how many are in receipt of pension without examining the papers of every man, as soldiers in receipt of ordinary pensions are not classed separately according to campaigns. There are, roughly, about 4,000 men in receipt of special campaign pensions granted in consideration of their war service and the fact that they are in necessitous circumstances. The maximum rate of such special pension is 2s 6d and the minimum 1s., except in a very few cases where the rate is 9d for pensioners who have not reached the age of seventy. The average rate is 1s. 4d. As regards those in receipt of Poor Law relief there is no information in the War Office.
§ † See page 490.