§ 51. Mr. D. HERBERTasked the Prime Minister whether His Majesty's Government are in a position to make the Prince of Wales' Fund available for assisting cases of extreme necessity among pre-War State pensioners generally or among naval and military pre-War pensioners?
§ Mr. BONAR LAWThe Government are not responsible for the National Relief Fund, the administration of which is 1271 vested in an Executive Committee. The Fund was subscribed expressly for the relief of distress directly due to the War, and I understand that the Committee have always taken the view that it is not within their province to attempt to relieve distress which results from the depreciation of currency and the rise in the cost of living, a disability which pre-War pensioners share with many other persons with small fixed incomes.