§ Mr. Dalyellasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make a statement on his discussions with representatives of the Royal British Legion on the pension treatment afforded to a widow whose husband was killed (a) in the first world war, (b) in the second world war, (c) in Northern Ireland and (d) in the Falklands.
§ Mr. RossiI last had discussions with representatives of the Royal British Legion Scotland in Edinburgh in April 1982 and also attended the annual conference of the Royal British Legion in May 1982, had further discussions with their representatives in August 1982 and am in frequent correspondence with them. The Legion is continually seeking to extend the occupational pension instituted by the Ministry of Defence since 1973 to include widows of world war I and II veterans. However, this is not a matter for me. My Department's war pension provision applies equally to all war widows regardless of the conflict in which the husband was killed and places them in a preferential position in many respects in comparison with civilian widows under the national insurance scheme.