§ 25. Mrs. Knightasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department why he has decided to classify a fireman as being officially on emergency duty only when dealing with a conflagration.
§ Mr. Merlyn ReesSection 3(1)(e) of the Fire Services Act, 1947 empowers a fire authority to employ its brigade for purposes other than fire-fighting for which it appears to the authority to be suitable. If the hon. Member has in mind the question of entitlement to augmented pensions and gratuities for 681 widows in respect of the deaths of firemen, I would refer her to the reply I gave to the Questions by the hon. Member for Portsmouth, Langstone (Mr. Ian Lloyd) and my hon. Friend the Member for Hampstead (Mr. Whitaker) on 16th June.—[Vol. 785, c. 28–9.]
§ Mrs. KnightCan the hon. Gentleman say whether it is true that a recent ruling dictates that the job on which a fireman is engaged when he receives injuries from which he subsequently dies alters considerably the pension which his widow receives?
§ Mr. ReesA change was made last year in an attempt to make firemen analogous with the police. It meant that the widow of a fireman who was not engaged in fire duties may not have received the higher rate of pension. We have considered that in the context of the procedures, and a change has now been made. I think that that is what I said previously.
§ Mr. Robert HowarthIs my hon. Friend aware of the widespread welcome given to his right hon. Friend's decision to extend the provisions of the pension scheme of which he has just been speaking? Is it not another example of long overdue provisions being brought in by this Government which should have been brought in a long time ago?