§ Mr. BYRNEasked the President of the Board of Trade if he has further considered the proposals contained in the letter of the Mercantile Marine Service Association of the 6th June last, suggesting that the provisions of the war risks compensation scheme for masters, officers, and seamen (Handbill No. 358, May, 1915), in so far as they relate to the pensions and allowances payable in the Admiralty scheme, paragraph 5, namely, the pay upon which the pensions and allowances are to be calculated, will be the rates ruling six months before the outbreak of the War—that is, the rates ruling in February, 1914; and if he will consider whether it would be more equitable to those who suffer from dangers to life afloat in the mercantile marine if compensation were now based upon the rate of pay obtaining in the merchant service at the date of death or disablement, rather than that ruling six months before the War?
§ Mr. WARDLEAs stated in the reply given to the hon. Member by the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty on 1st February, an increase has already been made in the minimum pension to100W widows and allowances to children payable under the Government scheme of compensation. An increase of this kind can be made without altering the basis of the scheme, and it is not proposed to alter the basis of the scheme as suggested in the letter to which the hon. Member refers.