§ Sir A. V. Harveyasked the Minister of Defence how it is proposed to deal with the pensions of retired members of the Services and their widows, to correspond with the increases for civil pensioners contained in the Pensions (Increase) Bill.
§ Mr. ThorneycroftThe existing Prerogative Instruments will be amended to give retired members of the Services and their widows terms corresponding with those of the new Pensions (Increase) Bill. Pensions under each of the Service Pension Codes affected will be increased (if the pensioner is 60 or over or otherwise qualified) by the same percentage as would apply to a civil pension beginning at the date at which the Code in question took effect. Similarly, Service widows (if 40 or over or otherwise qualified) whose widowhood occurred before 4th November, 1958, will receive percentage increases calculated from the date when their Pension Code came into effect (1st December, 1952). The pensions of Service widows whose widowhood has occurred on or after 4th November, 1958, and who are in receipt of pension under the scheme of Family Pensions as announced in Cmnd. 675 will be increased as though the pension had been awarded on the Code in force on the day on which the husband retired or was discharged. The same basis will he adopted in giving effect to the additional benefit of retired members of the Services and their widows aged 70 or over.