§ 2. Mr. BAKERasked the Minister of Pensions whether he is aware that his Department has refused the issue of pensions under Article 1,163 of the Royal Warrant of 1914 to men suffering with a disability due to War service who have more than 14 years' Army service in cases where the man was demobilised and the disability accepted after discharge; and, if so, whether he will take the necessary action to amend the Royal Warrant so that in all cases where a man has 14 years' or more service, and is suffering from a War disability, he shall receive a pension for life?
The PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY to the MINISTRY of PENSIONS (Mr. Muir)The intention of this Article was to provide compensation for service in the case of regular soldiers who had been prevented by discharge on account of disability from completing the service necessary to qualify for long service pension. Men serving on short time engagements during the War and demobilised when their services were no longer required are not within the scope of the Article. The Article referred to is common to the Ministry and the Service Departments, and my right hon. Friend would have no authority to adopt the course suggested as regards those cases which come before his Department.
§ Mr. BAKERIs it not unsatisfactory that a man, having been brought into the service pension and the disability pension, should be deprived of the service pension because the disability pension has been taken away from him?
Mr. MUIRThis article was intended to apply only to the case of those men who had been disabled and whose service was thereby cut short in qualifying for long service pension.
§ Mr. BAKERWhen a man has been granted a service pension in addition to a disability pension surely it is unsatisfactory and unjust that, because he is deprived of the disability pension, the service pension should be taken away from him?