§ Sir G. Hutchinsonasked the Minister of Pensions whether, in view of the fact that the alternative pension was originally granted for the purpose of maintaining the standard of life enjoyed by the pensioner before his disability, he will now review the circumstances of these pensions in the light of the general increase in the cost of living which has taken place since these pensions were granted, with a view to supplementing the pension so that its original purpose will continue to be fulfilled.
Mr. AmoryThe alternative pension was a feature of the 1914 War Royal Warrants. It proved to be unsatisfactory in practice and was not repeated in the Warrants relating to the 1939 War. Persons to whom alternative pensions were awarded have retained their reserved rights although in many cases improvements in the standard rates of pension and allowances have made the latter more favourable, with the result that many alternative pensioners have been transferred to standard rates. Disabled pensioners of the 1914 War still receiving alternative pensions today are therefore being paid higher rates of pension than other similarly disabled pensioners of the two wars and I do not feel justified in increasing those remaining alternative pensions.