HL Deb 29 July 1920 vol 41 cc644-5

Order of the Day for the House to be put into Committee, read.

Moved, That the House do now resolve itself into Committee.—(The Earl of Crawford.)

On Question, Motion agreed to.

House in Committee accordingly.

[THE EARL OF DONOUGHMORE in the Chair.]

Clause 1 agreed to.

Clause 2:

Application, of War Pensions Acts.

2. The expression "the present war" in the War Pensions Acts shall mean any war carried on by His Majesty at any time during the period from the fourth day of August, nineteen hundred and fourteen, to the thirtieth day after the date fixed under the Termination of the Present War (Definition) Act, 1918, as the date of the ter- mination of the present war, both inclusive, and accordingly, unless the context otherwise requires, references in those Acts to pensions, grants, and allowances, and to deceased or disabled officers or men, shall respectively be construed as references to pensions, grants, and allowances, granted, made, or awarded in respect of wounds, disablements or other matters suffered, incurred, or happening daring the said period, whether the officers or men to or in respect of whom the pensions, grants, or allowances are granted, made or awarded, retired or are discharged from the service, or die before the expiration of the said period, or whether they so retire or are discharged or die after the expiration of the said period, and to officers and men Who have died or been disabled through causes arising out of their service during that period, whether they retire or are discharged from the service or die before the expiration of the said period, or whether they so retire, or are discharged, or die after the expiration of the said period:

Provided that nothing in this section shall affect the operation of section three, of the War Pensions (Administrative Provisions) Act, 1919.

THE LORD CHAIRMAN

The Question is that Clause 2 be agreed to.

TIFF, CHANCELLOR OF THE DUCHY OF LANCASTER (THE EARL OF CRAWFORD)

On that Question 1 should like to say a word. The Earl of Mayo and others have pointed out to me that in the statement which I made on the Bill I rather misled your Lordships as to the exact purport of this clause. Therefore I desire now to record that the object of this clause is merely to fix the date at which existing local war pensions committees will cease to be concerned with any new casualties which may arise in the fighting Forces, but they will continue to be responsible for dealing with such cases as arose between the beginning of the Great War and the official date upon which that War will be decided, by Order in Council, to have terminated.

Clause 2 agreed to.

Remaining clauses agreed to.