§ 2.37 p.m.
§ LORD JEFFREYSMy Lords, I beg to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.
§ [The Question was as follows:
§ To ask Her Majesty's Government what would be the annual cost of restoring to all officers who retired under the provisions of the Royal Warrant and corresponding instruments of 1919 the basic rates of retired pay of 1919 plus 20 per cent., as provided in those instruments]
§ THE MINISTER OF DEFENCE (EARL ALEXANDER OF TUNIS)My Lords, the best estimate I can give my noble and gallant friend of the annual cost of restoring the 1919 rates of retired pay and adding 20 per cent. to those rates for retired officers of the Forces is about £1,300,000, but I cannot pretend that this figure is anything but approximate. It includes, for the sake of completeness, £220,000 in respect of officers of the Indian Services who retired under the 1919 pension code, for whose pensions the Government of India, and not Her Majesty's Government, are liable.
§ LORD JEFFREYSMy Lords, while thanking my noble and gallant friend for his answer, may I ask whether the figure he has given includes any increases which were given in these pensions on account of called-up service in the Second Great War?
§ EARL ALEXANDER OF TUNISMy Lords, as I explained when we debated this question of pensions in your Lordships' House a short time ago, there are a few hundred officers who retired on the 9½ per cent. rate. Many of the officers who retired between the wars were called up, and those who served during the last World War have gone on to the new pension rates which were brought out in 352 1945 and 1950. Therefore, this figure of £1,300,000 refers only to those officers who retired in 1919 and who were not called up during the last war. I hope that that answers the noble Lord's question.
§ LORD JEFFREYSMy Lords, it does.