Lieut.-Commander Clark Hutchisonasked the Minister of Pensions whether, having regard to the fact that the wife of a Serviceman receives a weekly allowance of 12s. 6d. in respect of each child, he will now raise the existing allowance of 11s. per week for each child payable to the widow of a Serviceman to the same level.
§ Mr. Wilfred PalingI cannot at present add to the reply which I gave to the hon. and gallant Member for Lonsdale (Sir I. Fraser) on 18th October.
§ Major Legge-Bourkeasked the Minister of Pensions whether he is satisfied that in no case will any ex-Serviceman or woman suffer a reduction in pension as a result of receiving occupational training.
§ Mr. Wilfred PalingOccupational training in itself does not affect the rate of a war disablement pension, which is based on the degree of the recipient's disablement due to war service.
Lieut.-Colonel Thorpeasked the Minister of Pensions whether it is the practice to pay arrears of pension from the first date of application in all cases where there has been a revision under the amended Warrant, or where a successful appeal has been made to an appeal tribunal.
§ Mr. Wilfred PalingWhen the admission of entitlement to pension arises from the modification of the governing pension instruments, the date of such modification is taken as the earliest effective date for payment of arrears. A successful appeal to a Pensions Appeal Tribunal for a disablement pension in respect of the invaliding disability by a member of the Forces who, within six months of discharge, made representations to my Department as to its failure to grant a pension, is made effective from the date of discharge; otherwise the effective date of the award of pension is the date on which representations were first made.
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§ Sir I. Fraserasked the Minister of Pensions whether he will authorise a special allowance to war-disabled men and women wearing artificial limbs to enable them to meet the cost of the extra wear and tear imposed on their clothes and so enable them to purchase the clothing for which the Board of Trade issues them additional clothing coupons.
§ Mr. Oldfieldasked the Minister of Pensions whether he has accepted the recommendation of the Artificial Limbs Committee and is now prepared to grant a cash allowance to pensioners subject to excessive wear and tear of clothing due to use of crutches, artificial limbs and other equipment.
§ Mr. Wilfred PalingI have under consideration the recommendation in regard to this matter made by the committee under the Chairmanship of Sir Brunel Cohen.