HC Deb 28 February 1933 vol 275 cc175-6
38. Mr. ROBINSON

asked the Financial Secretary to the War Office whether he will consider altering the rules governing the award of pension to ex-service men who served in campaigns prior to 1914–18, so as to permit birth certificates instead of the date of birth given on attestation to be taken as evidence of present age?

Mr. COOPER

No, Sir. It is not proposed to alter the rule whereby the age given by a recruit on his first attestation is accepted as his correct age throughout his army career for various purposes, including the assessment of his pension. My hon. Friend will appreciate that it would not always be in the soldier's interest to make this alteration.

Mr. BURNETT

Will the hon. Gentleman arrange that men, on attestation, shall be made aware that any understatement of age will prejudice their claim to pension?

Mr. COOPER

I think it would naturally occur to anybody, if they were contemplating making a false statement, that it might have some deleterious effect on their later career.

Back to