§ 28. Mr. Mott-Radclyffeasked 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. ShinwellThe 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' 2757 service, that they would by so doing forfeit their wives' prospective claims to pension.
§ Mr. Mott-RadclyffeWould 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. ShinwellIt is not ungenerous to fulfil what appears in the contract.