§ 1. Mr. Boyd-Carpenterasked the Minister of Social Security what is now the value in terms of Canadian and Australian currencies, respectively, of the war pensions paid to a British war pensioner resident in Canada and Australia on the assumption that he is married with two children and 100 per cent. disabled; and what is the pension paid in these countries to their own war pensioners in similar circumstances.
§ The Joint Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Social Security (Mr. Charles Loughlin)On the assumptions made in the Question, a private who did rot qualify for any supplementary allowances would get just over 23 dollars a week in Canada and 18 dollars 96 cents a week in Australia. I understand that in similar circumstances these countries would pay their own pensioners about 92 dollars and 18 dollars 80 cents respectively. There has always been a wide disparity between pensions paid to Canadian war pensioners and British war pensioners resident in Canada.
§ Mr. Boyd-CarpenterIn view of the long-standing disparity to which the hon. Member has referred and the special problems of war pensioners, arising from the high cost of living, particularly in Canada, will not he at least restore to British war pensioners in these countries the 14 per cent. cut that they suffered as a result of devaluation last November?
§ Mr. LoughlinI appreciate the right hon. Gentleman's point of view, but the 858 real value of British war pensions have increased somewhat since 1963, even taking into account devaluation. As I told the right hon. Gentleman in a recent Adjournment debate, as far as it is humanly possible where any of our war pensioners are suffering hardship we are introducing procedures to meet it.
§ 20. Mr. Boyd-Carpenterasked the Minister of Social Security whether, in view of the fact that war disability pensions payable to disabled former members of the Brigade of Gurkhas resident in Nepal have had their pensions maintained at an increased cost in sterling, she will reconsider her decision not to take parallel action in respect of those British war pensioners resident overseas for whom she is responsible.
§ Mr. LoughlinNo, Sir. Neither British nor Gurkha disability pensions have been changed in terms of the currencies in which they are expressed. In fact, the sterling cost of Gurkhas disability pensions is now less than before our devaluation.
§ Mr. Boyd-CarpenterIs it not a fact that the Ministry of Defence have increased the sterling provision in respect of each Gurkha war disability pension in order to retain its rupee value? Does not the hon. Member think it a little shocking that a social service Department should take less care of people for whom they are responsible than does the Secretary of State for Defence?
§ Mr. LoughlinI do not think that we take less care of pensioners than does anyone else. I answered the Question on the Order Paper.