§ Lieut.-Colonel Windsor-Cliveasked the Secretary of State for War what increases he proposes to make in the rates of pension for widows of soldiers whose deaths are attributable to military service?
§ Sir V. WarrenderI am glad to say that it has been decided to increase the pensions of soldiers' widows with effect from 1st June. Under the new scale, the minimum pension under Article 1175 of the Pay Warrant, 1931, for a widow under age 40 without children will be 15s. 6d. a week as against 10s. 6d. at present, and for a widow over 40, or under that age with children, 22s. 6d. a week, as against the present rates of 17s. 6d., or 20s. in the case of a widow over 60. There will be the usual additions for rank and children. The increased rates will be payable to all soldiers' widows already in receipt of pensions at the lower scale mentioned above, and arrangements will be made to revise such pensions without application from the pensioners.