§ Captain CRAIGasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he is aware that Mr. J. J. Spencer, late constable, Royal Irish Constabulary, was disbanded from that force on the 11th May, 1922, and was awarded a pension of £236 13s. 4d. from the 14th May; that he received a letter from the Paymaster General's office, Whitehall, dated 23rd November, 1922, informing him that this pension was partially suspended during the period of his service in the Royal Ulster Constabulary to which he is attached as a special constable; that since the 14th May he has received nothing in the way of a pension, modified or otherwise, although he sent his address to the proper authority, the officer in charge of the district for all official purposes on the date of disbandment; and whether he will take steps to have Spencer's pension paid at the earliest possible date?
§ Mr. ORMSBY-GOREWarrants for the payment of Mr. Spencer's pension were forwarded to him on the 6th July last to the address given by him on disbandment. This letter was returned by the Post Office undelivered. Further warrants were sent to him at his present address on the 6th August, but apparently they miscarried in the post. Fresh warrants have been issued to Mr. Spencer, and he should now be in a position to draw his pension.
§ 29. Captain CRAIGasked the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he is aware that Mr. Jonathan Holmes, late of the Royal Irish Constabulary, was specially promoted to the rank of sergeant for gallantry during the defence of Kilmallock Barracks, County Limerick, when two men were killed and the rest of the garrison wounded, on 28th May, 1920; that Mr. Holmes was transferred to Antrim town and discharged the duties of sergeant there until May, 1921, when he was reduced to the rank of constable because he found himself unable to take charge of a barrack in a disturbed part of the country, which was liable to be attacked at any time, owing to the condition of his nerves as a result of the Kilmallock affair; that the late Chief Secretary for Ireland, on hearing the facts, at once reinstated Holmes as sergeant; and that in spite of this he was disbanded as a constable, and has in consequence lost 1565W the pension to which he was entitled as a sergeant; and whether any steps can be taken to reconsider the case of this deserving officer?
§ Mr. ORMSBY-GOREConstable Holmes was, in common with the other members of the garrison, promoted to the rank of sergeant for his share in the defence of barracks at Kilmallock in May, 1920, after which he was transferred to County Antrim. When, in the ordinary course, he was instructed to take charge of the station at Templepatrick, he asked to be allowed to revert to the rank of constable. Templepatrick was specially selected as being an easy station for Sergeant Holmes to take charge of. As, however, he was unwilling to do so, his request to be allowed to revert to the rank of constable was granted. As regards the third part of the question, my hon. Friend is under a misapprehension in thinking that Holmes was reinstated by the late Chief Secretary. The matter was brought to the attention of the Chief Secretary, who did not feel justified in reversing the action taken in this case. As regards the last part of the question, there was no option but to pension Holmes upon the rank which he actually held on disbandment.