§ Miss Vickersasked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a grant of £58,000 a year to enable small pensions to be given to the war disabled Poles who served with the British Forces in the 1939–45 War.
§ Mr. H. FraserNo. Arrangements already exist under the provisions of the Pensions (Polish Forces) Scheme, which was made under the Polish Resettlement Act, 1947, and is administered by the Ministry of Pensions and National Insurance, for the payment of pensions and allowances to those who were disabled as the result of service in the Polish Forces under British Command and to the widows and dependants of those who died as the result of such service. Payments are made under broadly the same conditions as those relating to the British Forces. The scheme is not limited to persons resident in the United Kingdom.
§ Miss Vickersasked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will grant a pension to Jan Zakienski, No. 708575, who served with the Royal Air Force, and 300 other such men whose names have been sent to him, who have not received a pension because they have no discharge certificates.
§ Mr. H. FraserIt is understood that the persons to whom the hon. Member's Question relates are Polish personnel now resident in Germany, Austria, Italy and elsewhere, who claim to have served under British command during the last war. Where a man has served under British command and where there is reason to believe that he suffered injury or fell ill due to that service, he may be eligible for a pension under the Pensions (Polish Forces) Scheme.
From such details as have been furnished it has not been possible to identify any of the men concerned as having served under British command. The 331W individual mentioned by name is the subject of further enquiries. No eligible person would be refused a pension because of the absence of a discharge certificate. A discharge certificate is but one of the various aids to identification which has been suggested.