§ 42. Mr. Willisasked the First Lord of the Admiralty if he will now make a statement as to the results of the consideration given to the position of long- service naval pensioners who performed full-time service during the 1939–45 war, as promised in paragraph 52 of White Paper Cmd. 6715.
§ Mr. AlexanderThis matter is at present under consideration. I am not, therefore, in a position to make a statement.
§ Mr. WillisWhen considering this matter will the right hon. Gentleman bear in mind that these men are now four or five years older than they would have been and are at a period in their lives when it is exceedingly difficult to get civilian occupation? Could he also say whether it will lead to retrospective treatment?
§ Mr. AlexanderIn regard to the first part of the question, I am trying to arrange that they get every possible sympathetic consideration and I am having the matter revised. - With regard to the second part, I hope it may be possible to date it back, but I can never be quite sure when dealing with the Chancellor whether that is possible.