§ Mr. Boscawenasked the Secretary of State for Defence what would be the cost of paying Forces family pensions to the widows of Service men below the rank of Warrant Officer Class I who died or were discharged to pension before 1st September 1950; and if the Government will introduce such pensions for these widows.
§ Mr. William RodgersOn the assumption that there are about 30,000 such widows, the cost of applying to them the benefits of the Armed Forces' occupational pension scheme as recently im-312W proved could amount to about £12 million a year. To make such benefits retrospective would have wide and expensive repercussions among Service pensioners and other pensioners of occupational schemes in the public sector.