§ 15. Mr. LEACHasked the First Lord of the Admiralty if he will consider making an alteration in the regulation which causes service pensions to be temporarily forfeited if the recipient is committed to prison for debt?
§ The PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY to the ADMIRALTY (Mr. Ammon)There is no Naval Regulation which directs that a service pension, is to be temporarily forfeited if a pensioner is committed to prison for debt. Under the Regulations all pensions are tenable only during good behaviour, the matter being judged by the Admiralty, and in cases of imprisonment it is usual to suspend a pension for the period of imprisonment. This suspension, however, is not inflicted on the occasion of a first imprisonment for debt. Should further imprisonments for debt occur the suspension of pension is at the discretion of the Board of Admiralty who would decide according to the circumstances of the case. The Regulations do not, therefore, require any alteration.
§ Mr. LEACHDoes the hon. Gentleman know that the Department dealing with old age pensions have no such regulations and no such forfeitures?