§ Sir V. WARRENDERasked the Under-Secretary of State for Air what provision is made for dependants of officers of the Royal Air Force killed while flying?
§ Mr. LEACHPensions may be granted to the widows of officers dying as the result of a flying accident on duty, the656W rates, which vary according to the rank of the deceased officer, being as follows:
Per annum. Rank of Officer. £ Pilot Officer … … 90 Flying Officer … … 90 Flight Lieutenant … … 100 Squadron Leader … … 140 Wing Commander … … 180 Group Captain … … 200 Air Commodore … … 240 Air Vice-Marshal … … 300 Air Marshal … … 375 Air Chief Marshal … … 450 Marshal of the Air … … 600 Eligibility for the award is subject to conditions referring to the date of the officer's marriage and the date of his death in relation to the date of the wound or injury which caused his death. Under existing Regulations, which, however, on this point are subject to review, the award of a pension may be accompanied by the award of a gratuity at the following rates according to rank:
£ Pilot Officer … … 100 Flying Officer … … 150 Flight Lieutenant … … 200 Squadron Leader … … 300 Wing Commander … … 450 Group Captain … … 600 Air Commodore … … 800 Air Vice-Marshal … … 1,000 Air Marshal … … 1,250 Air Chief Marshal … … 1,500 Marshal of the Air … … 2,000 The child or children (sons under the age of 18 and daughters under the age of 21) may be granted a compassionate allowance of £24 a year each, or, if motherless, £40 a year. In certain circumstances of pecuniary need, a child or children above the age of eight may be granted in addition an education allowance not exceeding £35 a year each.
If the deceased officer has not left a widow or child, an allowance not exceeding half the appropriate widow's pension rate may be granted to his parents, or, if he did not leave a parent, to his young brothers and sisters, provided in each case that they were largely dependent on him at the time of his death and their pecuniary and other circumstances are 657W such as to justify the grant. The maximum allowance to any one 'brother or sister is £24 a year. The allowance to a parent or parents is subject to increase up to three-quarters of the widow's pension rate in certain circumstances of age or serious incapacity due to ill-health.