§ 76. Mr. JAMES GARDNERasked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether he is aware that Mr. A. W. Collins, formerly a clerk at Wormwood Scrubs Prison, has lost eight years' service in the calculation of his civil pension in respect of four years served in the Great War; that, in similar circumstances, Mr. P. G. Wootton, late of Durham Prison, has also lost six years; and if, 339 in view of the fact that the military pensions of these ex-officers were originally granted as disability pensions in respect of Army service, he will reconsider their cases and re-assess the pensions apart from the operation of the Superannuation Act, 1887, Section 5?
§ Mr. PETHICK-LAWRENCEThe disability pensions granted to these two officers are not affected by Section 5 of the Superannuation Act, 1887, and no account has been taken of them in the awards of civil pension. In addition, both officers were awarded military service pensions, based on length of service, although the length of service would not have been sufficient for the award if there had not also been a disability pension. The period of service reckoned for the military service pension cannot under the Statute also reckon for civil pension. In Mr. Collins's case it was more favourable to the pensioner to reckon the period of his military service for military than for civil pension, and it was so reckoned accordingly. In Mr. Wootton's case the pensioner has been offered the option of reckoning the period of military service either for military or civil pension as he prefers.