§ 6. Mr. HAYESasked the Home Secretary whether proposals have yet been formulated for submission to the trustees of the National Police Fund in the matter of the unprovided widows of the police pensioners excluded from the operation of the Police Pensions Act, 1921, and the Widows', Orphans' and Old Age Contributory Pensions Act, 1925; and, if so, can he indicate the nature of such proposals?
§ Sir W. JOYNSON-HICKSThe answer is in the negative. The trustees have now laid it down that "beneficiaries" under the fund are to be limited to police who served during or since the general strike or their widows, orphans or dependants.
§ Mr. HAYESIn view of the fact that the existing widows' relief funds can now be supplemented by the National Police Fund, cannot the grants made be on a more generous scale to those in distress?
§ Sir W. JOYNSON-HICKSThis is a purely voluntary fund and I am not sure whether it would be right to allow the widows to be purely dependent on this voluntary fund. I shall have to look into the matter very carefully.
§ Sir W. JOYNSON-HICKSCertainly.