§ Mr. H. P. HARRISasked the Under-Secretary of State for War whether his attention has been called to the case of Mrs. Jack, widow of the late Colour-Sergeant W. J. Jack, who served for twenty-four years in the Middlesex Regiment and for three and a half years was employed at a recruiting depot; whether Sergeant Jack, who had earned six medals, was employed at the chief recruiting office in Whitehall at the time of his death; whether his widow and two children have been refused any pension; and, if so, whether some provision will be made out of public funds for the widow and children of a man who served his country so long and faithfully?
§ Mr. FORSTERThis man was a discharged soldier employed as a civilian on the London area recruiting staff. There is no provision for pension to his widow, either in virtue of his service as a soldier or as a civilian after discharge. She was awarded a compassionate gratuity of £14 from the Civil Compassionate Fund in May, 1915.
Mr. MacCALLUM SCOTTasked the Financial Secretary to the War Office whether a soldier who is a widower is entitled to claim separation allowance, on the same scale as for a wife, for his daughter over sixteen years of age who takes charge of the home and of five younger children all under sixteen years?
§ Mr. FORSTERSeparation allowance for the children under sixteen is issuable at the higher rates applicable to motherless children. The daughter over sixteen may, if otherwise eligible, receive a dependant's allowance within the maximum admissible for a wife.
Mr. SCOTTasked the Financial Secretary to the War Office whether when a soldier's mother becomes an inmate of a rate-aided asylum the War Office immediately suspends the dependants' allowance, even though the soldier has to make regular payments of more than the allowance to get her received as an inmate; whether there is any source from which a son in such a case may be enabled to discharge his liability towards his dependant mother; whether the allowance is paid if the mother was an inmate of the institution before the son's enlistment, and the son made regular payments for her main- 1868W tenance there; and whether he can state why the son is penalised for obtaining for his mother the necessary institutional treatment after his enlistment?
§ Mr. FORSTERThe rules are as stated. I am not aware that there is any obligation on a soldier to make these payments.