§ Sir G. Hutchinsonasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will amend the Police Pensions Regulations, 1949, so that in determining the pensions payable to the widows of deceased police officers no account is taken of the date upon which the husband died, and the widows of all deceased officers may receive the rates of pension payable to officers who died after 6th April, 1949.
§ Sir D. Maxwell FyfeThe draft Police Pensions Regulations, 1952, which have been laid before Parliament provide for an increase in flat-rate police widows' pensions awarded between 4th July, 1948, and 6th April, 1949, up to the level of flat-rate pensions awarded on or after the latter date. The increase is subject to conditions similar to those provided by the Pensions (Increase) Acts.
I have not, however, felt justified in proposing increases in the pensions awarded to police widows whose husbands died before the introduction of the new National Insurance scheme on 5th July, 1948, of such an amount as would put these widows in the same position as if they had been granted a 123W National Insurance pension in addition to a police widow's flat-rate pension at the current rate.