HC Deb 23 March 1948 vol 448 cc2756-7
28. Mr. Mott-Radclyffe

asked the Secretary of State for War on what grounds re-employed service is excluded from the qualifying period of 20 years necessary to enable the widow of an officer, who had voluntarily retired, to receive a pension.

Mr. Shinwell

The rules for the grant of "ordinary" pensions to the widows of Regular officers are at present under review, and this includes the rule to which the hon. Member refers. I am not yet in a position to forecast the outcome. The officers in question would, of course, be aware, when deciding to retire voluntarily before they had completed 20 years' service, that they would by so doing forfeit their wives' prospective claims to pension.

Mr. Mott-Radclyffe

Would the right hon. Gentleman agree that it seems a little ungenerous to exclude the term of reemployed service since 193o from the qualifying period?

Mr. Shinwell

It is not ungenerous to fulfil what appears in the contract.