§ 13. Mr. LESLIE SCOTTasked the Prime Minister whether he is now in a position to inform the House of the details of the Government proposals in regard to increasing the provision made for the dependants of our soldiers and sailors on active service, both by way of separation allowance during absence and of pension in case of death or incapacity resulting from the performance of their duty to the country; if he cannot state the details now, when he will do so; and, in the meantime, whether the Government accept the principle of a greatly increased scale of allowance and pension, so that such dependants may be properly supported by the nation as of right and no longer depend upon charity, of including in such benefits parents where in fact dependent on their sons, and of imposing the necessary financial burden on the richer classes of the community by way of graduated taxation or otherwise?
§ Mr. HAYES FISHERhad given private notice to ask the Prime Minister whether, looking to the fact that there are already many hundreds of widows and that before the War is ended there will be many thousands of widows created by this War, he can give an assurance that, either by raising the scale of pensions or by granting funds to the Royal Patriotic Fund Corporation for the purpose of supplementing where necessary the Government pensions, widows created by the present War will be at least as well provided for as the 4,500 widows who now receive pensions on account of the loss of their husbands in the Transvaal war?
§ The PRIME MINISTER (Mr. Asquith)I will reply to this question and to one of which the right bon. Member for Fulham has given me private notice together.
With regard to separation allowances for the Army, the Government have decided, for the period of the War, to adopt a scale based on a minimum, inclusive of compulsory allotment, of 12s. 6d. a week, with consequential increases.
§ The scale will be—and I compare the new scale with the old:—
| New Scale. | Old Scale. | |||
| s. | d. | s. | d. | |
| Wife | 12 | 6 | 11 | 1 |
| Wife and one child | 15 | 0 | 12 | 10 |
| Wife and two children | 17 | 6 | 14 | 7 |
| Wife and three children | 20 | 0 | 16 | 4 |
| Wife and four children | 22 | 0 | 17 | 6 |
§ The additional London allowance of 3s. 6d. will remain unaltered subject to the present condition.
§ We propose also to deal with the case of relatives—such as mothers and sisters.—who are dependent upon unmarried soldiers at the front. In cases where the soldier makes an allotment to such a dependant, the State will supplement it by a proportionate allowance.
§ The Government are of opinion that the machinery of the old age pensions committees is most suitable for this purpose.
§ As regards the Navy, it has been decided to grant separation allowances to wives and children conditional upon a minimum allotment being made. The details of the scheme will be announced as soon as possible.
§ In both cases these allowances will be payable weekly through the Post Office as from 1st October.
§ The question of pensions, which is of considerable complexity, is still under consideration, but the Government will make public their decision on this point at the earliest possible moment.
§ As regards the question of taxation, the right hon. Member may rest assured that my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer will give his suggestion sympathetic consideration.
§ Mr. HAYES FISHERWill the right hon. Gentleman expedite as much as possible his announcement about pensions to widows, because the Royal Patriotic Fund have no money at their disposal for supplementing Government pensions except that which is given for immediate relief?
§ The PRIME MINISTERWith regard to pensions to widows, there is at present a fund, but it is a matter of very great difficulty, and we have been considering 969 it most carefully for some days. I hope in two or three days at the outside we may be able to announce our decision.
§ Mr. CHAMBERLAINWill the right hon. Gentleman consider the suggestion which I brought to the notice of the authorities of the War Office for continuing to a widow for, at any rate, a certain period after the decease of her husband the allowance to which she is entitled as a wife?
§ The PRIME MINISTERWe are considering that sympathetically, and I hope we may be able to make some announcement in regard to it. I would rather not commit myself definitely at present.
§ Mr. JOHN WARDCan these facts be circulated amongst the different recruiting depots? I find at the meetings I have attended that it is a difficult matter to get even from the military members what is the exact position of the soldier in regard to these matters.
§ The PRIME MINISTERI will undertake to circulate, both in the Army and the Navy, the exact scale of the new allowances, and I think it is desirable to put the new scale side by side with the old scale.
§ The PRIME MINISTERFrom the 1st of October.
§ Mr. C. E. PRICEWhere there are more than four children in one family, will the rate be precisely the same as in the case of four?
§ The PRIME MINISTERFor this purpose four is treated as the maximum.
§ Mr. W. THORNEIs any provision made for those who may be permanently injured?
§ The PRIME MINISTERThat comes under the category of pensions, and also temporary disablement. All those matters fall under a different category.
§ Mr. W. THORNEI wish to know whether, in consequence of the increase now made, it will make any difference to the allowances made to Civil servants, and to those approved by municipalities who have adopted a similar line of action?
§ The PRIME MINISTERI am dealing now only with the Army and Navy.
§ Mr. JONATHAN SAMUELWhat is meant by "hard cases"? Is it the intention that the old age pension committee in each district shall inquire into them?
§ The PRIME MINISTERThat is so as regards allowances. I do not want to create any misapprehension. I said the new scale of allowances would date from 1st October, but it is possible that the Post Office, owing to administrative difficulties, may not be able to deal with them until the 12th of October.
Mr. HAMILTONThe right hon. Gentleman said "soldiers at the front," I presume the scale refers to all men, Territorials and new recruits, directly they are embodied?
§ The PRIME MINISTERYes, when they are separated from their wives.
§ Mr. MacCALLUM SCOTTWill the right hon. Gentleman have this new scale specially printed and placed in the Vote Office, in order that Members may have them?
§ The PRIME MINISTERYes, Sir, I will have that done. What is more important, however, is that it should be sent to the recruiting depots.
§ Mr. BARNESHas any consideration been given to the question of paying increased wages?
§ The PRIME MINISTERThat is quite another matter.