§ 26. Mr. Tinkerasked the Minister of Pensions whether he is aware of the growing feeling against the position of the soldier who gets disabled on active service and marries after such disablement, and not having the same rights as to his wife as the soldier who was married before disablement; and will he say when he will be able to make a statement upon this?
§ The Minister of Pensions (Sir Walter Womersley)As I explained in the course of the Debate on 18th February, it is a long-standing principle of war pensions that the liability of the State in respect of the wife and children of disabled or deceased ex-Service men must be limited to family obligations existing at the date of the contraction on service of the accepted disability. This principle is one that has been consistently observed by Governments of all parties over many years, and I am not in a position to recommend any departure from it.
§ Mr. TinkerI take it from that Reply that the right hon. Gentleman is not prepared to move from the present position. That being so, I shall ask permission to bring forward a Motion on the Order Paper.