§ Major HORE-BELISHAasked the First Lord of the Admiralty, with reference to the case of Mr. C. H. Penrose, of 18, Mount Edgcumbe Terrace, Torpoint, Cornwall, late ship fitter in His Majesty's dockyard, Devonport, who has been refused an increase of pension under the Pensions (Increase.) Act, 1924. upon the ground that the increased pension is limited to the amount which a pensioner would have received had he retired on the 1st of July, 1023, with a pension calculated on the emoluments on which his pension was awarded at the date of his actual discharge plus the bonus payable on the 1st of July, 1923, whether he is aware that this man was invalided from His Majesty's dockyard in 1917 as the result of injuries received in the course of his employment when he was 58 years of age with only two years in which to 441W complete his full time, and that had he not received these injuries he would now have been in receipt of a much higher pension; whether, in these circumstances, he can see his way to assist this man, who is an invalid and incapable of supporting his family; and whether he will bring such cases as this to the notice of His Majesty's Government with a view to amending the restrictive Section in the Pensions (Increase) Act, 1924, so as to enable those men who have been invalided from the Service to obtain the full benefit of the increase regardless of whether or no such increases would place them in a better position than those who retired on the 1st of July, 1923?
Mr. DAVIDSONThe hon. Member is quite correct in stating that Mr. Penrose was discharged in 1917, but the cause of his discharge was physical inability to perform his duties, and no claim has hitherto been made that such incapacity was occasioned by injuries arising out of or in the course of his employment. Had he continued to serve until 1919, when he attained the normal age for retirement, he would have received a higher rate of pension by reason of the longer service and of the more favourable rate of war bonus which was in force at that date, but it must be remembered in this connection that the percentages granted under the Pensions (Increase) Acts apply only to442W the pre-War equivalent of a pension. Mr. Penrose is already receiving under the Pensions (Increase) Acts the maximum increase allowable in his case, and I regret that the Admiralty cannot render him further assistance. With regard to the question of instituting further legislation to secure greater benefits for pensioners who were invalided out of the Service, this is a matter which affects other Government Departments, and I am not prepared to recommend any amendment of the Pensions (Increase) Acts in this respect.