§ Mr. BYRNEasked the Prime Minister if he will say when the proposals to increase the separation allowances will be put into operation; and if he will see that childless wives of soldiers and sailors are included in the proposals, as their present allowances are not sufficient to provide the ordinary necessities of life?
§ Mr. BONAR LAWI would refer the hon. Member to the Government's proposals which were circulated in the OFFICIAL REPORT of Thursday last.
§ Mr. PENNEFATHERasked the Pensions Minister if he is aware that the separation allowance of 12s. 6d. per week to a childless wife is inadequate under present conditions; and, if so, to what extent it will be increased and when?
§ Mr. HODGEMy hon. Friend will have seen the particulars of increased separation allowances which have, been announced since his question was put down. These increases include a higher supplementary allowance for the childless wife who is unable to work.
§ Mr. PENNEFATHERasked the Pensions Minister whether special additional allowances over the fixed rate granted by local committees to childless wives are in some cases paid through the Sailors' and Soldiers'. Help Society; and, if so, what connection a charitable institution has with the matter?
§ Mr. HODGEI should be glad of further particulars of the cases to which the hon. Member refers. The Sailors' and Soldiers' Help Society, as also the Soldiers' and Sailors' Families Association, has statutory representation on the local committees, and there may be instances where a committee has delegated certain of its functions to the representatives of one or other of these bodies. This should not be done in such a manner as to obscure the fact that the allowances granted are derived from State funds.