§ 15. Commander BELLAIRSasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty whether the maximum pension of the widow of a captain of one of His Majesty's ships is £80 per annum and of the widow of an admiral of £120 per annum, unless it is certified that he died from disease caused by extraordinary exposure or exertion on service; and whether the Board will represent to the Treasury that the condition for granting alternative pensions should be the same for officers' widows as for men and that the time has come for the amounts to be raised?
§ Dr. MACNAMARAThe ordinary service pension of the widow of a captain of less than three years' seniority is £80, and of other captains £90, while that of the widow of an admiral is as stated in the question. The question of increasing the ordinary rates of pensions to widows of officers whose deaths were not attributable to or accelerated by the Service, is at present under consideration.
§ Commander BELLAIRSWill the Board of Admiralty bear in mind that the answer to my first question by the Pensions Department showed that pensions are now from £30 to £10 less for admirals and captains than the maximum for ordinary seamen?
§ Dr. MACNAMARAI gathered that the purpose of the former question was to prepare an argument in favour of a favourable answer being given to the second.