§ 3. Major Sir BERTRAM FALLEasked the Secretary to the Admiralty if he is aware that a number of chief yeomen signals drew 6d. per day from 14th August as seniority allowance, and that since the granting of pensions, plus pay, for those who have become eligible for pension the 6d. has been withdrawn and past money claimed as from date of pension, and the repayment required in one lump sum, in some cases equivalent to three-quarters of the annual pension; and, if he does not think the 6d. might well be retained, if he will have the repayment spread over a longer period?
§ Dr. MACNAMARASenior allowance of 6d. a day is not payable to pensioners. In order, therefore, to obviate disparity of treatment as between pensioners called out at the commencement of hostilities (who have not received the allowance) and the men to whom pensions have recently been granted, it has been necessary to recover from the Latter the amount of senior allowance credited from the pension date onwards. Further, the retention 400 of this allowance by these men would not only cause the above-mentioned disparity, but would also prevent the number of active service ratings eligible for the allowance from receiving the same, since only a certain number can draw the allowance.
As regards recovery, in this and all cases, it is certainly not our policy so to recover as to inflict hardship. The policy of spreading recovery over a period of time is the policy which generally governs our action in these matters, and certainly consideration will be given to any case in which it can be shown that hardship has been entailed by the method of recovery.
§ Sir B. FALLEIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that in some cases the amount is at least three-quarters of the annual pension?
§ Dr. MACNAMARAI saw it in my hon. and gallant Friend's question, and I have asked for a list which will show in detail the pension receivable and the amount of the lump sum recovered so that I may examine it.