§ Sir JOHN BENNasked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether he is aware that the pension of 10d. per day was originally secured on a basis of 20 years' service, and that when the qualifying period was increased to 22 years no addition was made to the 10d.; and whether, in view of this oversight, he will again consider the request of the men that the lengthened service should carry Is. per day as the foundation pension.
§ Mr. McKENNAThe facts are as stated in the first part of the question. It is not, however, the case that the arrangement was due to an oversight. The period of 22 years now requisite to qualify for a long-service pension, as against 20 years previously necessary, was fixed upon the Report of a Committee appointed in 1881 to inquire into the pensions of seamen and marines, with particular reference to the large and growing charges for non-effective services. In the opinion of the Board no case has been made out for a change.