§ 5. Sir B. FALLEasked the Minister of Pensions when it is expected that a decision will be arrived at in the case of pensions for widows whose husbands die after seven years from the time of invaliding?
Mr. ROBERTSProvision was made for this class of case by the Royal Warrant of the 14th January last, of which I am sending the hon. and gallant Member a copy.
§ 8. Mr. W. HENDERSONasked the Minister of Pensions the number of widows of men who at the time of death were in receipt of a pension in respect of disablement assessed at the rate of 40 per cent. or over, who had been refused a pension under Article 17a of the Royal Warrant; what are the instructions governing the decision that' the circumstances of a man's death and other conditions justify the granting of a pension; and whether he will take action to amend the Royal Warrant for Widows' and Children's Pensions, 1924, so that the widow of any pensioner who dies while in receipt of a pension in respect of disablement assessed at the rate of 40 per cent. or over shall receive a pension?
Mr. ROBERTSI regret that the records of my Department do not enable the precise number of cases rejected to be stated, but I may say that the majority of the claims of widows to whom Article 17 applies are met under either Article 17A or 17B. For the purpose of award under Article 17A, there is required only such degree of connection between the man's death and his pensioned disability as is covered by the requirement that his death was materially hastened by the lingering effects of his War service. Substantially improved terms of pension were embodied in Article 17 of the Warrant of January last, and I am carefully watching the operation of the changes then made.