§ 20. Mr. Murrayasked the Secretary of State for War whether, on the death of military personnel on active service overseas, or in this country, next of kin are informed of the details of funeral arrange- 1267 ments and expenses; whether this is done by personal contact or by postal means; and whether he is satisfied that the latter method does not mislead relatives who are at the time subject to personal strain and anxiety.
§ Mr. HeadAll casualties at home and overseas are notified to the next of kin by telegram. The officers charged with this duty well know that news of this kind is bound to cause distress, and for this reason they take the greatest possible care in wording the telegrams. To try to notify all casualties by personal contact would inevitably cause delay, and I do not think that it would be a satisfactory arrangement. After the official notification, the commanding officer sends a letter of condolence by post to the next of kin which gives details of the arrangements for burial. There are no expenses for the military funeral.
§ Mr. MurrayIf I were to bring to the notice of the Minister the case of a widow who was misled by the information she received, and who borrowed a large amount of money to meet the funeral expenses, would the right hon. Gentleman consider the suggestion of sending a welfare officer to people who are so affected by such distressing circumstances to break the sad news to them and to explain the regulations, so that there may not be a repetition of the case to which I have referred?
§ Mr. HeadI would be only too glad to look into the case, if the hon. Member would forward details to me. An undertaking to send a welfare officer or some other officer in each case, however, would lead us into a position of having commitments which we could not possibly carry out in certain circumstances.