§ 49. Sir A. Southbyasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he is aware that many officers and men, who have retired from the Fighting Services, are solely dependent upon their pensions; that these pensions have now been seriously depleted by the rise in taxation and increased cost of living, resulting, in many cases, in hardship to the pensioners and their dependants; and whether he will consider the restoration of the 9½ per cent. cut made in these pensions when they were stabilised owing to the fall in the cost of living?
§ Sir K. WoodI would refer my hon. Friend to the reply which I gave on 30th September to my hon. Friend the Member for Abingdon (Sir R. Glyn).
§ Sir A. SouthbyWill my right hon. Friend bear in mind that many of these pensioners have no other means of livelihood than their depleted pensions; and will he reconsider their cases, as they are suffering very great hardship?
§ Sir K. WoodI appreciate that; but my hon. and gallant Friend, in his turn, will appreciate that I have done a great deal to help those people by the policy of stabilisation.