§ 20. Mr. CAIRNSasked the Home Secretary whether he is aware that the watch committee of Wallasey refuse to pay the amount of back pay due to ex-Constable E. T. Jones, who was dismissed in August last for withdrawing his services; and whether, in view of the fact that all other police authorities have long since paid the amounts due to the other men dismissed, he will make representations to the Wallasey watch committee with a view to the reconsideration of their decision?
§ Major BAIRDThe matter rests with the police authority, and my right hon. Friend does not see his way to intervene.
§ 21. Mr. HURDasked the Home Secretary whether his attention has been called 578 to the case of Police pensioner Philemore Pippen, of Brislington, Bristol, who had a good record during 24 years' service in the Somerset police force; was invalided out in 1904, and has an invalid wife and three children; has been unable to do any regular work since owing to chronic bronchitis; is now expected to keep himself and family on 12s. 10½d. a week; and whether this is one of the hard cases for which immediate consideration has teen promised?
§ Major BAIRDThe attention of the Home Office has not been previously called to this case. A Cabinet Committee is now considering whether any relief can be given from public funds in such cases.
§ Mr. HURDIs the hon. Gentleman not aware that full details of this case have been put before the Home Office and have been preliminarily turned down, and may I ask whether, in a case of this sort, after 24 years' service, an ex-police pensioner is asked to live and keep his family, a chronic invalid himself, on 12s. 10½d. a week, and whether it does not call for urgent attention?
§ Major BAIRDMy information was that the case had not been brought to the attention of the Home Office. I will look further into it. Obviously, it is of the nature of case for which a Cabinet Committee has been set up.
§ Colonel Sir J. REMNANTMay I ask whether a case similar to this is to be considered a hard case?
§ Major BAIRDThat is, I think, a matter for the Cabinet Committee?
§ Mr. BILLINGWill the hon. Gentleman ask the Head of his Department to arrange to make these cases retrospective in the event of the finding being in their favour, and so enable some of these men to get out of debt?
§ Major BAIRDI do not think I can add anything to what was said by my right hon. Friend in Debate, namely, that he would see what could be done to meet these cases.
§ Mr. RAFFANDo the Cabinet Committee propose to deal with individual cases one by one, or are they endeavouring to arrive at some general principle applicable to certain categories of cases?
§ Major BAIRDI am afraid I cannot answer that question.
§ 39. Sir J. REMNANTasked the Prime Minister if he can now state the decision of his Committee as to the relief to be given to the old (previous to 1st April, 1919) police pensioners who are in necessitous circumstances owing to the increase in the cost of living?
§ The PRIME MINISTERI am unable to make any statement on the subject, as the Cabinet Committee has not yet reported.
§ Sir J. REMNANTMay I ask whether we are likely to get any decision before Easter; and may I further ask whether on the matters referred to this Committee such a csae as that mentioned in question No. 21, and to which I hope the right hon. Gentleman's attention has been called, and which has been turned down by the Home Secretary as a case practically that cannot be dealt with as a hard case, will come before the Committee; and whether the right hon. Gentleman is of opinion that 12s. 10½d. per week is sufficient for a family to live on?
§ Mr. SPEAKERThe hon. Gentleman had better give notice of some of that question.
§ Sir J. REMNANTOn a point of Order. The question is already down on the Paper.
§ Mr. SPEAKERIn a question to the Prime Minister the hon. Gentleman calls attention to a question put by somebody else, and asks what is the Prime Minister's view about certain matters, and so on and so on, which he cannot really be expected to answer without notice.
§ Sir J. REMNANTI apologise to you, Sir, for appearing to argue against your ruling. What I sought to ask was, as the right hon. Gentleman has so often said that hard cases should be dealt with, whether a case of 12s. 10½d. per week for a whole family to live on, with two invalids and three children, would be one of the hard cases.
§ Mr. SPEAKERNotice should be given of a question of that sort dealing with details.
§ Mr. RAFFANMay I ask whether the Cabinet Committee are really considering 580 individual hard cases, or whether they are considering categories of cases?
§ The PRIME MINISTERNo, they are considering the whole problem with a view to arriving at some definite principle which can be applied.
§ Sir J. REMNANTShall we have a decision before Easter?
§ The PRIME MINISTERI understand the Committee are working very hard, and it is not a very easy decision to come to, but I can assure my hon. Friend there is no time being wasted.