HC Deb 24 February 1920 vol 125 cc1470-1
50. Mr. CHARLES EDWARDS

asked the Prime Minister whether he will consider the position of the pre-war pensioners by increasing the pensions to these old soldiers and sailors who served in the Army and Navy previous to the last War, and whose pensions have not been increased notwithstanding the high cost of living?

Mr. BONAR LAW (Leader of the House)

I cannot add anything to what I said yesterday in reply to supplementary questions arising out of a question by my right hon. Friend the Member for West Fife.

Mr. G. MURRAY

Will the right hon. Gentleman consider the advisability of giving increased pensions to those people who are receiving pensions under £100 a year?

Mr. BONAR LAW

The Government, like everyone else, have great sympathy with these people, but it is all a question of what the taxpayer can afford to pay. Although the hardship is great it is not greater than that of many others in civil life.

Colonel WARD

Does the right hon. Gentleman not think that these men have done something to deserve the gratitude of the country, and that it is a shame, and great disadvantage to recruiting for the new Volunteer Army, that old soldiers should be left in a condition of absolute poverty?

Mr. BONAR LAW

I have already said that I do think it a great hardship, but it cannot affect recruiting, for there has certainly been no breach of any undertaking in regard to these men. The difficulty is that it is quite impossible to give increased pensions to one class, even soldiers, without extending it to the whole

Sir C. KINLOCH-COOKE

If the right hon. Gentleman is approached by a sufficient number of Members of the House will he give a date for the discussion of the question of pre-War pensioners?

Mr. BONAR LAW

I do not think I can do that. There are many opportunities, and there have been many opportunities when this has been discussed.

Sir H. BRITTAIN

Do not we owe exactly the same debt of gratitude to the old soldiers and sailors who fought in the Great War?

Mr. BONAR LAW

We all owe the same debt of gratitude to the civilians also, yet we have not tried to raise the rates of pensions of these classes.

Sir F. HALL

Were not these pensions granted for services rendered in order that the pensioners might live properly in retirement, and, in view of the enormous increase in the cost of living and the depreciated value of the pension, cannot the Government take into consideration the whole of these pensions?

Mr. SPEAKER

That is really more a matter for argument.