§ Mr. McKinlayasked the Home Secretary what compensation is available to 320W an officer of a local authority who has been for some time acting as unpaid controlling officer in the Civil Defence services, or to his dependants, in the event of his injury or death through enemy action, bearing in mind the instruction by the Ministry of Home Security to local authorities in Scotland, that such officers are not covered for war service injuries by the Personal Injuries (Civilian) Scheme; whether, if such an officer retired from Civil Defence duties and was succeeded by a paid substitute, such substitute would be covered for war service injuries by the scheme; and whether local authorities are empowered to insure their officials against such injuries or death?
§ Mr. H. MorrisonCompensation is provided by the Personal Injuries (Civilians) Scheme for war injuries, which are, broadly speaking, physical injuries due to warlike operations, for all members of the public, including local authority officers however employed. Payment of such compensation is not subject to any condition of enrolment or special insurance. A local authority officer enrolled for whole-time or part-time service in one of the civil defence organisations specified in the Schedule to the Personal Injuries Scheme would, if injured while acting as a member of the service, be covered for war service injury. Local authority officers, whether regular or temporary employees, engaged on administrative or organising duties in connection with Civil Defence, are not in that capacity members of a civil defence service and are not, therefore, as such eligible for compensation in respect of war service injury. It is for the local authority to determine the conditions of service of such officers, and the method of insuring them against injuries due to accident sustained in the course of their employment where statutory compensation is not payable.