§ Mr. BARNES (War Cabinet)With the leave of the House, I desire to make a brief statement arising out of the Debate last week on separation allowances. It will be remembered that we were pressed to bring in the revised scale at an earner date than had been contemplated, and I promised that the matter would be submitted to the Chancellor of the Exchequer and the Pay Committee. This has been done, and, as was foreshadowed last week, the Chancellor of the Exchequer took a sympathetic view of the matter, as did the Pay Committee at a meeting subsequently held. The Departments concerned now agree to make the payments retrospective as from 1st November. The first payment will be made in a lump sum about the 15th December, and subsequent payments will be made thereafter in two lump sums up to March, when the scale will be paid week by week. But the effect, on the whole, will be that the increased payments are made as from 1st November. It has also been decided that the sole condition of the receipt by the childless wife of the supplementary sum of 6s. 6d. will be that she is not earning waged.
Mr. RUNCIMANMay I ask whether they also considered the case, which was put and supported generally in the House, of the difference which arises between the amount paid to the widow with three children and the wife with three children, which they promised would receive attention?
§ Mr. BARNESThat matter is still under consideration, but it is a matter primarily for the Ministry of Pensions, and no doubt will be dealt with sympathetically.
§ Mr. PENNEFATHERArising out of the statement of the right hon. Gentleman that the sole condition on which this extra 6s. 6d. will be given is to be that the childless wife is not earning wages, may I ask whether that means that if a childless wife is earning 2s. 6d. or 5s. or some small sum she is thereby to be deprived of the 6s. 6d.?
§ Mr. BARNESOf course, there are two or three other matters still left to the discretion of the pension committees. I have sufficient faith in the pension committees to believe that such eases will be considered favourably and the women given the 6s. 6d.
§ Mr. HOGGEMay I ask my right hon. Friend what is the reply to that part of my question to which he is replying, in which I asked him whether he is able to say what war bonus it is proposed to give on the war pensions? The Chancellor of the Exchequer said a statement would be made about this, but no statement has been made.
§ Mr. BARNESI do not know that I can say much more than I have said in reply to the right hon. Gentleman opposite (Mr. Runciman). The matter is under the consideration of the Treasury, having been put to them by the Ministry of Pensions some time ago. I have every reason to believe that it is being favourably considered, and that a declaration will be made very shortly.
§ Mr. ROWLANDSWill the right hon. Gentleman see that instructions are sent to the local war pension committees clearly indicating that they are not to 2122 debar childless wives from the 6s. 6d. if some small sum is coming in which is not a regular stated wage?
§ Mr. BARNESI am quite sure explicit instructions, or advice rather, will be sent to every pension committee. It has already been done, but, of course, a change will be made in consequence of this alteration.