HC Deb 16 November 1944 vol 404 c2098
23. Mr. Hubbard

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will authorise payment of deferred pay to members of the Civil Defence who have been stood down and who are old age pensioners.

Mr. H. Morrison

The scheme of Civil Defence post-war credits, which followed the arrangements made for the Armed Forces, was designed to provide payments after the war. An exception to this rule was made in favour of allowing immediate payment to persons finally invalided out of the service, or in cases of death. It is not within my power to extend the provision for payment during the war to include such classes as old-age pensioners who leave Civil Defence Service on grounds other than that of final invaliding.

Mr. Hubbard

Will the Minister realise that many of these people are old age pensioners who may not see the end of hostilities? Could arrangements be made to treat them as a special class?

Mr. Morrison

I hardly think so. Of course, I cannot use Civil Defence to solve problems which are, perhaps, more connected with old age pensions, and I think it would be difficult, under the scheme, to make exceptions of this kind.