§ 28. Mr. R. RICHARDSONasked why the Admiralty messengers who were mobilised and liable to active service during the War, but were retained at their civil duties by the Admiralty, are being debarred from receiving the increase in pension for the past four and a half years under the Jerram Report, seeing that it was owing to official orders that they were retained at their messenger duties and thus prevented from joining their depot or ship, where they would have qualified for the increased pension; and whether, in view of the fact that there are at present at the Admiralty service ratings doing the same duties as messengers who will receive the increased pension, the same privileges will be extended to regular messengers?
§ Mr. LONGApparently, the reference is to the increase in pensions earned by war service. This is granted under the King's Regulations, and not under the Jerram Report. The messengers in question are debarred from this increase, which is limited by the Regulations to pensioners actually serving. They are not debarred from the increase in pension granted, under the Jerram Report, as from the 1st April last. As members of the regular messenger staff they suffered no disturbance of their civil occupation, and no ground is therefore seen for according them the same treatment as those who actually served.