§ 33. Flight-Lieutenant Boothbyasked the Minister of Pensions whether grants in respect of funeral expenses of dependent relatives of Service men, who have been killed in air raids, are only made in respect of funerals taking place on or after 1st November, 1941; and why a distinction is drawn between the victims of enemy air attacks before and after that particular date?
§ The Minister of Pensions (Sir Walter Womersley)The funeral grant to which the hon. and gallant Member refers forms no part of the provision made by the Government 25 for the burial of air raid victims and is not limited to this class of case. It is one of the additional benefits for members of the Forces which were introduced in November, 1941, and were fully described in Command 6318; it was then made clear that all the new benefits were to operate from November, 1941, and I am not prepared to alter that date. I am writing to the hon. and gallant Member to explain the position more fully.