§ Mr. Lathamasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received from the 251W Police Federation and other organisations representing police officers regarding the preserved rate pension for police widows whose former husbands retired before 1956.
§ Mr. Douglas HoggMy right hon. Friend has received about 180 letters in recent weeks expressing disappointment with his decision not to implement an increase recommended by the Police Negotiating Board. As I indicated in reply to a question from my hon. Friend the Member for Bournemouth, East (Mr. Atkinson) on 19 December, at column 732, my right hon. Friend shared the regret of these correspondents that he was unable to implement the recommendation. To do so would have been a breach of the long-standing principle that entitlement under public service schemes should not be improved retrospectively, and might have had very costly repercussions in other schemes.