§ 84. Brigadier Petoasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will now withdraw or alter paragraph 26 of Command Paper No. 9092, to the effect that officers' pensions should be stabilised, in view of the fact that paragraph 114 and paragraph 173 of the May Committee Report, Command Paper No. 3920, recommend an opposite course; and whether he will make a statement.
85. Mr. John Hallasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he is aware that paragraph 26 of Command Paper No. 9092 does not represent the view of the May Committee as expressed in paragraphs 114 and 173 of its Report; and whether he will therefore publish a further paper amending Command Paper No. 9092.
§ Mr. Henry BrookeI accept that paragraph 26 of Command 9092 is too telescoped a reference to the May Report. A perfectly clear description of the train of events will be found in paragraph 41 of the Command Paper.
I do not accept that the May Committee recommended an entirely opposite course. While recommending an acceleration of the cost of living adjustment on pensions, with the cost of living falling as it was then, the Committee was critical of the whole system which related pay and pensions to changes in the cost of living, and it recommended that the pensions scheme for officers in all three 13W Services should be reconsidered. In the circumstances, I do not think that the Command Paper gives a false impression.