§ 61. Colonel APPLINasked the Secretary of State for War whether his attention has been drawn to the distressed position of men of long service who have been discharged from the Royal Small Arms Factory at Enfield Lock without pension; if he is aware that pensions were withdrawn from these Government servants in 1870 by a Treasury Minute; and whether, in view of the hardship caused to these skilled workers, he will consider introducing some scheme of contributory pensions early next year?
§ The FINANCIAL SECRETARY to the WAR OFFICE (Captain Douglas King)As my right hon. Friend stated in reply to a question by the hon. Member for East Woolwich on the 12th May last, the possibility of establishing a pension scheme for ordnance factory employés who are at present only eligible for gratuities on discharge has already been under consideration, and is to be further discussed during the coming autumn. As the hon. Member will of course appreciate, the Contributory Pensions Bill now before the House has a considerable bearing on the matter.