§ 25. Mr. Jannerasked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance whether he is aware that a British officer who returns to this country after service overseas with the Royal Air Force is not entitled to family allowances in respect of any children born to his wife during the period of his service abroad; and if he will take steps to remedy this situation.
§ Mr. Boyd-CarpenterThe hon. Member is under some misunderstanding. Service men returning from abroad with their children qualify for the allowances wherever their children were born. Where, however, the children do not come back to this country with their parents, it is not possible to treat them differently from other children who are not in this country.
§ Mr. JannerWill the Minister go again into the case which was brought to his notice in which a child born to an R.A.F. officer was registered in Germany at the consulate? No allowance has been paid in respect of the child because it was not born in this country and was not in the country at the time. Surely that is a very serious position? Allowances are being made in respect of children born in this country, but a child born while a man is on service in another country is not regarded as eligible for the allowance. Surely there is something wrong with that?
§ Mr. Boyd-CarpenterNo, Sir, in the particular case the hon. Member has drawn to my attention, if he will look again at the decision he will see that the grounds for disallowance were not place of birth, but the fact that the child was not in this country.