§ 93. Brigadier-General SURTEESasked the Minister of Pensions if he is aware that dissatisfaction exists among numbers of demobilised service men, who loyally did their duty during the War, at the fact the the modified service pensioners who are in receipt of service pensions under Army Order 330, 1918, assessed under Article 1,151 Pay Warrant, have not been granted the increase given under Army Order 325, 1919; and if he can see his way to reconsider the entire matter with a view to doing justice to men with less than 21 years' service, especially as the rigid application of the Order works harshly in many cases, seeing that only a very few months and, in some cases, weeks debar men from being granted the additional allowance under the last-named Order?
§ The PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY to the MINISTRY of PENSIONS (Major Tryon)If, as I understand, the men referred to are not disabled, the matter is properly one for the Secretary of State for War, but I may refer my hon. and gallant Friend to the answer which I 1964 gave to the hon. and gallant Member for Fylde on the 4th May, of which I am sending him a copy. The decisions announced in the statement circulated with that answer represent the considered views of the Government, and I understand that the Service Departments concerned are not prepared to hold out any hope of an extension of the concessions already made which apply to all cases provided for by Army Order 330 of 1918.
§ 98. Sir A. SHIRLEY BENNasked the First Lord of the Admiralty if a man is debarred from any service pension who served in the Royal Marine Light Infantry for 25 years, having joined the service in March, 1895, as a boy, and was invalided out of the service in November, 1919, about ten weeks before the completion of his full term of service, although, for the time being, he is drawing disablement pension and other allowances; and is he entitled to some service pension in case the disablement pension should be ultimately discontinued, owing to the fact that the ten weeks' shortage, after 25 years' service, was due to illness over which he had no control?
§ Lieut.-Colonel SANDERS (Lord of the Treasury)In the circumstances stated, an addition for service will be made to the disablement pension. If the latter be discontinued, the man will receive a life pension based on the length of his service. The revised rates and conditions, which will take effect as from the 1st April, 1919, were communicated to the House on the 4th May last in answer to a question by my hon. and gallant Friend the Member for the Fylde Division; and it is hoped that they will soon be in operation.