§ LORD FRASER OF LONSDALEMy Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.
§ The Question was as follows:
§ To ask Her Majesty's Government to state on what dates they propose to revise war pensions and allowances and what is the basis they have in mind, 437 in principle, for fixing the amount of these awards.
§ LORD WELLS-PESTELLMy Lords, it was announced in the Queen's Speech that measures will be introduced to improve existing social security benefits. Her Majesty's Government will continue the policy of linking the reviews of war pensions and allowances with those of social security benefits. As the noble Lord will know, war pensions are increased by means of instruments under the Royal Prerogative, but a Bill will be introduced in another place to provide for increases in social security benefits. Your Lordships' House will have an opportunity to examine the Government's proposals in due course.
§ LORD FRASER OF LONSDALEMy Lords, did not the Secretary of State for Social Services, the right honourable Member, Mrs. Castle, say, and did not the noble Lord opposite repeat it in this House, that the war pensions would be related to either the cost of living at the time or to the average wage at the time? May I ask him whether he has said that to-day? I do not think he has. May I ask the noble Lord to answer the other part of my Question, as to what time of the year this review will take place?
§ LORD WELLS-PESTELLMy Lords, I am trusting entirely to memory. I think the noble Lord, Lord Fraser of Lonsdale, may be quite right; I may have said some months ago that it will be related to the cost of living, but I should have to look that up. What I am saying now is that they will be linked to social security benefits which will be fixed in regard to the financial situation of the times. So far as the next up-rating is concerned, the latest date for the next up-rating will be about Monday, July 28, 1975. I do not think that it is necessary for me to remind the noble Lord that the last two up-ratings occurred within about nine months of each other, one on October 1, 1973, and the other on July 22, 1974. In reply to the question of the noble Lord, as I understand the situation the latest date for the next up-rating will be July 28, 1975.
§ LORD MAYBRAY-KINGMy Lords. is the noble Lord aware that we all 438 admire the work of the noble Lord, Lord Fraser of Lonsdale, on behalf of the ex-Servicemen through the last thirty or forty years? May I ask the noble Lord whether he will ensure that, when they review the whole question of ex-Servicemen's pensions, his Government give special attention to the representations made by BLESMA, the limbless ex-Servicemen's association, on the anomalous position of ex-Servicemen from the First World War and the widows of Servicemen who died in the First World War?
§ LORD WELLS-PESTELLMy Lords, I am much obliged to the noble Lord, Lord Maybray-King. I am sure he will not expect me to give a definite answer as to what will happen, but I will certainly undertake to bring this matter to the notice of my right honourable friend the Secretary of State. I would remind your Lordships that the percentage increase of the last up-rating so far as the war pensions were concerned was the biggest ever, something like 30 per cent.
§ LORD FRASER OF LONSDALEMy Lords, with respect to the statement of the noble Lord, may I ask him to join with me and Members in all parts of the House in thanking the present Government for having continued a tradition of fifty years under which every Parliament has given special consideration to disabled ex-Servicemen. I hope that will continue.