§ Sir HERBERT NIELDasked the Secretary to the Treasury whether he is aware that a large number of pensioned Civil servants who were compulsorily retired before the War have nothing to support themselves upon save their pension based on pre-war rates which, in view of the excessive cost of living, is such to be only enough to prevent actual starvation; and whether he will say why, in conceding a bonus addition to the recently retired Civil servants, the older men have been excluded, seeing that their age in most cases prevents their earning any additional income?
§ Mr. BALDWINI fear it is inevitable that there should be eases of hardship among Civil Service pensioners in common with other members of the community who are dependent on small fixed incomes. As I have previously explained, the principle of the recent concession is that within certain limits war bonus may reckon for pension, and it follows that it is impossible to increase the pensions of those who were not in receipt of war bonus at the date of their retirement.