§ 2. Mr. Wadeasked the Secretary of State for Air how much pension would be received today by a 14-year-old orphaned child of a squadron leader who retired on the 1956 Code after maximum service, if both parents had died on 3rd November, 1958; and how much it would be if the parents had died the next day.
§ Mr. H. Fraser£65 a year and £162 a year respectively.
§ Mr. WadeIs it not very odd that a child who lost his parents before 4th November, 1958, should receive only £65 a year, whereas a child whose parents died on the day after that receives nearly three times as much, although in each case the father retired on the same day, with the same rank, and after the same length of service? Is not this an extraordinary anomaly which it is impossible to justify?
§ Mr. FraserNo, Sir. It has been justified for many years, and we are all well aware of the problem. As the hon. Gentleman knows, my right hon. Friend the Minister of Defence has these matters under consideration and I cannot add more to the matter.
§ 5. Mr. E. Johnsonasked the Secretary of State for Air how much pension, other than her own pension, would be received today by the 55-year-old widow of an air marshal who lost her husband on 3rd November, 1958, for one child; and how much would she receive for the child if her husband died the next day, assuming in both cases that her husband had retired after maximum service on the 1956 code.
§ Mr. H. Fraser£41 9s. 0d. a year and £207 2s. 0d. a year respectively.
§ Mr. JohnsonDoes not that reply reveal an even more intolerable state of affairs than did his reply to the Question put by the hon. Member for Huddersfield, West (Mr. Wade)? In this case one widow receives five times as much for her child, for one day's difference. Does not this illustrate the iniquity of the whole doctrine of the immutability of Service pensions? Does my hon. Friend further realise that it is simply not good enough to tell us that the Minister of Defence is considering these things? Will he tell the House what discussions he has had with the other Service Ministers about this matter? Does he realise that Service pensioners and their dependants, and the widows and children of ex-Service men, must be treated fairly and differently? It is wholly iniquitous to continue like this.
§ Mr. FraserAs I told the hon. Member for Huddersfield, West (Mr. Wade), and I now tell my hon. Friend, of course I am aware of this problem, as is the whole House. As I have said, my right hon. Friend is looking into it, and in this he has my full support.
§ Mr. JohnsonIs my right hon. Friend aware that he has not answered my Question? He has not told us what discussions he is having with the Minister of Defence. What is being done about it, beyond the fact the Minister of Defence is considering it?
§ Mr. FraserI have nothing to add to what I have said. As for discussions 1432 with my right hon. Friend, of course I have discussions with him on many subjects, but it would not be proper to reveal them to the House of Commons.