§ 70. Sir Richard Glynasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what pension is payable to the widow and dependants of a policeman or prison officer; and to what extent this is augmented if the officer has been murdered in the course of his duty.
§ Sir F. SoskiceUnder the Police Pensions Regulations, widows' pensions are ordinarily based on the rank, length of service and pay of the officer at the time of his retirement or death, and children's allowances are also payable in prescribed circumstances. Special pensions and allowances are payable where death results from an injury or illness contracted in the execution of duty. The widow of an officer murdered in the execution of duty receives a special pension sufficient to ensure that her aggregate pension from police pension and National Insurance sources does not fall below one half of her late husband's average pensionable pay. In addition, a lump sum equal to twice the maximum pensionable pay of a police constable is paid to the widow—or to the children if there is no widow.
Ordinary awards to the widow and dependants of a prison officer are governed by the provisions of the Superannuation Act, 1949, and vary according to the officer's pay and length of service at the time of his death or retirement. If a prison officer dies as the result of an injury received in the course of his duty and specifically attributable to the nature of the duty, the award to his widow and dependants is governed by the provisions of the Injury Warrant 1952. A higher rate applies if the officer's death occurs as the result of the violence of an inmate.