29. Mr. Henry Whiteasked the Home Secretary whether he is prepared to make any alterations to paragraph 2 of Article 8 of the National Fire Service (Preservation of Pensions) Act, 1925, Regulations 1941, and Fire Brigade Pensions Act, 1925, with a view to giving relief from an unfair burden placed upon the general rate fund of a local authority on the retirement on pension of a former member of its fire brigade in consequence of a war injury; what representations he has received on this matter; and what is the case against such relief?
§ Mr. H. MorrisonWhen the fireman in question was appointed by the local authority as chief officer of their fire brigade in 1931, they became liable to pay any pension which might become due to him under the Fire Brigade Pensions Act, 1925. It is true that when he had to retire from the National Fire Service on medical grounds last year, the general rate fund of the local authority became liable for a portion of the pension not covered by the pension fund set up under the 1825 Act. The fact that the officer was a member of the National Fire Service when he was injured is not material. The Council would have been faced with precisely the same situation if there had been no National Fire Service. Moreover, it was part of the settlement with the local authorities when the National Fire Service was set up that the local authorities should remain liable for any pensions which might become due to ex-regular firemen, but should receive an Exchequer contribution in respect of ex-members of their brigades who might become entitled to pension, the contribution covering the average net pension liability. I am sending my hon. Friend a copy of the relevant circular. The local authority referred to in the Question, who will have received the appropriate contribution, have asked for Exchequer assistance in meeting their liability in this particular case, and this request was sympathetically considered: but I was unable to agree to any special payment from the Exchequer in respect of this pension. I regret that I can hold out no hope of any alteration of that decision.