§ Sir G. Nicholsonasked the Minister of Defence if he will make a further statement about the arrangements for distributing the grant-in-aid for Polish ex-Service men.
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§ Mr. ThorneycroftYes. The House will remember that we propose to make available the sum of £50,000 a year, to be reviewed annually, as a further measure of assistance for Polish ex-Service men in this country who may now be in distressed circumstances.
This assistance will be treated as a grant-in-aid and will be paid to and administered by the British Legion, who will be accountable to the Government. I am sure the House will support me when I express the Government's gratitude to the Chairman and Council of the British Legion for accepting this responsibility and for offering to carry out the work without charging any expenses against the Government grant.
The British Legion will be setting up an Advisory Committee, which will determine the general policy under which payments will be made from the grant. Representation on this Advisory Committee will be open to all organisations engaged in furthering the welfare of Polish ex-Service men who served under British command during the war and who are now resident in the United Kingdom.
The British Legion will also be setting up, in consultation with the Advisory Committee, an Executive Committee which will be responsible for considering, and making recommendations on, individual cases. Both the Advisory and Executive Committees will include representatives of Polish ex-Service men.
These arrangements will come into force on 1st January, 1963, and a first instalment of £12,500 will be paid shortly thereafter. A Supplementary Estimate will be submitted in due course and in the meantime this sum will be advanced from the Civil Contingencies Fund.