§ 44. Mr. PENNEFATHERasked the Financial Secretary to the War Office if all the men to whom Army Form 3529 was sent prior to July last signed that form; if not, whether the men who signed it have been or will be at any disadvantage as compared with those who did not sign it or whether the effect was in all respects the same whether men signed it or refused to do so; and will he say if Army Form 3529 is in accordance with Army Council Instructions I and 2 of 1917, and was it sent out with the approval of the Pensions Minister?
§ Mr. FORSTERThe Army Council Instruction referred to announced the fact that men in receipt of disablement pension would continue to draw it if they resumed service with the Colours. Consequently, it makes no difference whether the men signed Army Form 3529 or not:
§ Mr. PENNEFATHERIs my hon. Friend aware that the letter in question simply asked the men whether they would agree to renounce their claims to pensions?
§ Mr. FORSTERMy hon. Friend, I think, is under a misapprehension. What the 2073 Army Form did was to call the attention of the men to the Regulations then in force, that if Class P men were recalled to the Colours they would not draw their pension on resumption of military service. There was no breach of contract; it was merely to make sure that the men understood the Regulations.
§ Mr. PENNEFATHERWill the hon. Gentleman allow me to send him a copy of the letter issued by the military authorities to these men?
§ Mr. FORSTERCertainly!