HC Deb 21 February 1945 vol 408 cc772-4
16. Mr. Norman Bower

asked the Secretary of State for Air if he is aware of the distress caused to parents of officers killed on active service owing to the practice of requiring repayment of small amounts of over-issued pay, in respect of the period between the officer's death and the end of the month in question; and if he will now consider changing this practice and forgoing repayments of small sums over-issued in those circumstances.

The Secretary of State for Air (Sir Archibald Sinclair)

When a Royal Air Force officer is killed on active service it is the duty of the Air Ministry to prepare a statement of Service liabilities and assets and to pay any balance thus arrived at to those entitled at law to receive it. If the outcome of the officer's Service account is a claim against his estate no action is taken if the claim is less than £5, or in any event, if the estate is less than £100 or indeed where there are dependants, if the estate is less than £2,000.

Mr. Bower

Will my right hon. Friend bear in mind that the distress caused by asking for these payments is disproportionate to the amount of money involved, and that the vast majority of taxpayers would far rather forgo these small sums than that such distress should be caused?

Sir A. Sinclair

There are no cases in which parents are called upon to meet a claim from their own resources. The only circumstances in which a claim in respect of over-issued pay or any other liability is made is when the deceased officer has bequeathed an estate which is well able to meet the deficit.

Captain Sir William Brass

Has this policy been changed recently, because I have a case where a great deal of distress has been caused by a claim for small sums after a boy has been killed?

Sir A. Sinclair

I am not sure what my hon. and gallant Friend means by "recently," but it has certainly been reviewed from time to time in a more generous sense in the course of the war.

Mr. Gallacher

Will the Minister consider getting this practice stopped completely, and draw a pen right through these accounts? Is he not aware of the inhumanity of asking for these repayments? I have sent a case this morning to the War Office and it is distressing to parents to get letters of this kind.

Sir A. Sinclair

I cannot answer for another Department, but, far from our prac- tice being inhuman, we have made it steadily more generous during the war.