§ Commander BELLAIRSasked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether he is aware that under the new scale of pensions the officers of the two branches of the Royal Marines get the same scale of pensions when their earning capacity is totally destroyed, or again if only impaired, but 1913W if the earning capacity is classified as seriously impaired, the Royal Marine Artillery get better pensions than the Royal Marine Light Infantry; whether he can explain the difference or redress the comparison or offer an explanation as to why there is discrimination in favour of one branch; and whether he can state if the proportion of casualties among officers of the Royal Marine Light Infantry has been very much higher than in the Royal Marine Artillery?
Dr. MACNAIMARAThe scale of pensions referred to in the question is applicable to Marine officers on the temporary list and is in accordance with the recommendations of the Select Committee on Naval and Military Services in their Third Special Report, page 5, for temporary officers in the Navy or Army. The difference alluded to also applies in the case of majors and captains on the permanent list if partially disabled. In their Third Special Report the Select Committee have, in certain instances, chosen the existing half-pay rates as the basis of the pension to be awarded (vide the special notes on page 5). These half-pay rates differ with particular arms of the Service, both Navy and Army. The answer to the last part of the question is in the affirmative.