§ 25. Sir W. Brassasked the Secretary of State for War whether he is aware of the dissatisfaction existing among parents of serving soldiers who were granted a dependants' allowance in peace-time while the son was serving in the Militia which allowance has now been terminated owing to the clause in the regulations referring to the incapacity of the father of self-support, and, in view of the fact that these parents were granted an allowance in peace-time and receive nothing in wartime, causing considerable hardship, he will consider an alteration of the regulations?
§ Mr. StanleyAwards of dependants' allowance in respect of men called up for training in the Militia under the Military Training Act, 1939, were made under regulations drawn up with special reference to the particular conditions of the training in question, and the form of application on which they were entertained specifically stated that
any allowance which may be authorised in respect of this application will be applicable only to the period of continuous initial training under peace-time conditions.1185W On general mobilisation, these payments should strictly have been discontinued and fresh awards made under the war-time regulations where the conditions prescribed by these are fulfilled, but it was decided to allow existing payments to continue until the current allowance books expired at the end of the present month, after which only cases which are covered by the war-time regulations will receive allowances.I undertook, at the close of the Debate on the Adjournment of the House on 18th January last, to review generally the provisions of the war-time scheme for the grant of dependants' allowances, and the particular provision referred to in the Question is one of the points covered by this undertaking. Until my review is completed, I am afraid I cannot give any assurance as to what, if any, changes will be made.