§ 2. Sir A. V. Harveyasked the Minister of Defence how many Regular officers of the three Armed Services, including the Indian Armed Services, retired since the end of the war; and how many of these retired before January, 1956.
§ Mr. WatkinsonAbout 33,000, of whom 23,000 retired before January, 1956.
§ 3. Sir A. V. Harveyasked the Minister of Defence how many commutations of retired pay have taken place by officers of the three Armed Services, including the Indian Armed Services, since the end of the war; how many of these took place before January, 1956; and what would be the cost today of granting the 1959 pensions increases on the retired pay commuted by officers of the Armed Services.
§ Mr. WatkinsonAbout 20,000, of which about 12,300 took place before January, 1956. Without a great deal of research I could not say what would be the cost of granting the 1959 pensions increases on retired pay which has already been commuted.
§ Sir A. V. HarveyIs my right hon. Friend aware that a large proportion of the officers he has referred to commuted up to nearly half their pay, on which they have received no increase since? Why should these officers be penalised because they did not have a terminal grant at that time and when the Government have made a profit out of it? Will my right hon. Friend look into the matter to see whether something can be done to help these men, who have served their country well?
§ Mr. WatkinsonI will certainly look most carefully at what my hon. Friend has said, but, of course, one of the risks of commutation is that one does get a lump sum for the relinquishment, so to speak, of the claim. I do not wish to be unsympathetic and will certainly undertake to look at what my hon. Friend has said.