Mr. MacCALLUM SCOTTasked whether a wife who has been deserted by her husband is entitled to a separation allowance in cases where the husband is legally liable for her maintenance; and what steps the War Office require the wife to take in such cases to secure maintenance?
§ Mr. FORSTERIf the soldier before mobilisation or enlistment did not contribute to his wife's support she is not entitled to separation allowance; but it is open to her to apply for the soldier to be placed under a compulsory stoppage of pay for her benefit. Such application, accompanied by an Order of Court, if one has been obtained, should be addressed to the Regimental Paymaster, or, if the soldier belongs to the Territorial Force, to the Secretary of the Territorial Force County Association, who is charged with the issue of separation allowances for her husband's unit. Particulars of the addresses of Regimental Paymasters and Secretaries can be obtained from a Post Office.
Mr. SCOTTasked whether a separation allowance is refused in the case of a man and his wife who have been living apart for a short period, owing to a quarrel, even although the man has made an allotment from his pay to his wife?
§ Mr. FORSTERThe issue of separation allowance has been authorised in numerous cases where the husband and wife, who were living apart at the date of mobilisation or enlistment, have become reconciled since that date, and there is evidence of a genuine intention to live together again after the termination of the husband's military service.
§ Mr. KELLYasked the Secretary of State for War whether he is aware that Private Vincent Scully, Letterkenny, late of the Irish Guards, joined that regiment on the 11th February, 1915, as a volunteer from the Royal Irish Constabulary; that he was wounded, losing his right arm from the shoulder, at the battle of Loos; that he is now finally discharged from the Army on a pension of 14s. a week; that such pension 1006W is totally inadequate, as he is wholly incapacitated from supplementing it; that as an inducement to the Royal Irish Constabulary to join they were informed by the Inspector-General that the pension in such cases would be calculated and granted as if the injury had been received on Royal Irish Constabulary duty; that the Constabulary Act, 1883, would accordingly apply; that Section 3 (1) (c), and Section 6 of the Second Schedule to that Act, provides for the granting of full pay as pension; that those provisions are adopted by the Police Act of 1915 in favour of Royal Irish Constabulary constables who join the Army during the War; will he say, in view of those provisions, why Private Scully was informed by the Inspector-General, Royal Irish Constabulary, that the military pension of 14s. a week was more than could be awarded from the Royal Irish Constabulary; will be inquire whether the provisions of the Constabulary (Ireland) Act, 1883, Section 3 (1), Second Schedule, Section 6, have ever been fully applied, i.e., awarding full pay as pension; and, if not, can he state the reason?
§ Mr. FORSTERPrivate Scully served one year 181 days, and was invalided on the 8th August last on account of amputation of right arm, the result of a gunshot wound received in action at Loos, The Chelsea Commissioners awarded him a pension of 25s. a week for two months and then 14s. a week for life, and also supplied him with an artificial arm which the examining surgeons pronounced to be satisfactory. Fourteen shillings a week is the usual rate of permanent pension awarded to a private soldier who has had his right arm amputated through lower third of humerus, and the Commissioners regret that they are unable to grant Private Scully any higher rate. The latter part of the question I must ask my hon. Friend to address to my right hon. Friend the Chief Secretary.
§ Mr. WINGasked the Secretary of State for War if he will issue instructions to paymasters to reply to urgent inquiries respecting non-issue of draft books, as soldiers' dependants are unaware for what purpose books are withdrawn and no immediate issue of fresh books in place of those withdrawn?
§ Mr. FORSTERInstructions have already been issued that in every case in which a book is withdrawn explanation is to be given to the payee.
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§ Mr. WINGasked the Secretary of State for War if he will give instructions to paymasters that draft books be not withdrawn from soldiers' dependants or post offices until fresh issues are ready, as the present method of withdrawing books and weeks elapsing before fresh issue involves unnecessary distress?
§ Mr. FORSTERThe arrangements as regards withdrawal and replacement of books are already on the lines which the hon. Member suggests. My attention has, however, been drawn to some individual cases in which new books issued at the end of a quarter have been lost in post, or otherwise failed to reach the post office punctually, and I am having inquiry made into these cases, which are probably those which have come to my hon. Friend's notice.
§ Captain DOUGLAS HALLasked the Paymaster-General if Lance-Corporal H. Perkins, No. 1096, l/8th Hants Regiment, a married man with one child, served nearly five years in that regiment and lost his leg at Gallipoli, and was granted a total disablement pension of 25s. per week for eight weeks; if he has now been put on a permanent pension of only 12s. 6d. per week; if, as his leg was taken off just below the hip joint, he is entitled to a pension of 14s. per week; and, if so, why he is not receiving this?
§ Mr. FORSTERThis man has now been awarded a pension of 14s. a week for life, and instructions have been issued for payment accordingly.
§ Mr. BYRNEasked the Secretary of State for War if inquiries into the matter which led to the discharge of a man named Mates, 5th Connaught Rangers, have yet concluded; if any provision has been made for the support of his family and payment of rent pending the decision being made known; if he is aware that this man entered a police force in England in February last and was obliged to resign at the end of June owing to relapse and illness, and was then, and contiues to be, cut off from all sources of relief and obliged to subsist upon funds provided privately; if the cause of this treatment during the period 1st July last to date has formed a portion of such inquiry; and if, in consideration of this man's services to the Government without receiving any reward, he will permit the discharge of one of his sons to support him in his old age?
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§ Mr. FORSTERIt has been found necessary to refer to Salonika to obtain the information regarding Mates' Army service necessary to enable his case to be reviewed, and I am afraid that the report has not yet been received.
Mr. MacCALLUM SCOTTasked the Financial Secretary to the War Office, with regard to the regulation that a supplementary pension may be granted to a disabled soldier of such an amount as when added to the State pension, earnings, and other income shall not exceed the pre-war income of the beneficiaries, or in any case the sum of 50s. a week, whether any war bonus is to be computed in present earnings, seeing that it is expressly excluded from pre-war earnings?
§ Mr. HAYES FISHERThe answer is that war bonus is to be computed in present earnings.