HC Deb 18 February 1919 vol 112 cc760-1W
Mr. DEVLIN

asked the Secretary to the Treasury whether he is aware that retired Civil servants and other Government servants have not received any increase or war bonus of any kind, notwithstanding that their claims have been repeatedly brought before the Treasury; that many of these old ex-Government servants after four years of war prices are now in a state verging on starvation; whether, in view of this, legislation will be introduced to remedy this state of affairs; and whether, pending the granting of a war bonus, the Treasury will, as a temporary measure of relief, sanction the payment of the unemployment donation to all such pensioners under £60 a year, irrespective of unemployment cards, which very few of them, owing to old age and infirmity, possess?

Mr. BALDWIN

As regards war bonus, I would refer the hon. Member to my answers to similar questions by the hon. and gallant Members for Normanton and Leith, circulated with the Votes on the 13th instant. The Treasury cannot agree to the alternative proposal that unemployment donation should be granted.