§ 70. Commander Purseyasked the Secretary of State for Defence why the Admiralty ceased to have any interest in the widow of a naval rating, whose name has been forwarded to him by the hon. Member for Kingston-upon-Hull, East, and whose husband died while serving in Malaya, after she was flown home with her three infant children and seen on the train for her home town; and why no naval welfare officer has visited this widow during the two months since she returned to this country.
§ Mr. J. P. W. MallalieuA naval welfare worker met this lady at the airport, arranged for her to be specially cleared through Customs, took her across London, travelled with her to Hull and then took her to her parents home.
The welfare worker visited her again next day when she had had a chance to get some rest and asked her what further help she needed. The lady replied that so far as she could see the naval authorities in Singapore had already done everything that was necessary.
In case some unforseen need should arise, however, the welfare worker wrote down the address of the naval welfare people and urged the lady to write at once if she found she did need help. She has not done so.
§ 71. Commander Purseyasked the Secretary of State for Defence for what period the Admiralty will continue to pay the full allotment of the widow of a naval rating, whose name has been forwarded to him by the hon. Member for Kingston-upon-Hull, East, and whose husband died while serving in Malaya; and whether the widow will be entitled to a widow's pension and children's allowances for her three infant children from Greenwich Hospital funds.
§ Mr. J. P. W. MallalieuA temporary allowance for widows is payable by my Ministry for the 13 weeks following the death of the husband, after which she becomes eligible for widow's benefit from the Ministry of Social Security. In this case, for the first two weeks while the widow remained in Singapore, the allowance was equal to the full overseas allotment which the husband was making at the time of his death. For the remaining 105W 11 weeks, the allowance excludes those elements of the full overseas allotment which are appropriate only to service abroad.
On the second part of the Question, Greenwich Hospital pensions are normally awarded to widows over the age of 65. In the case of a younger widow with children of or below school age, it is more usual to award allowances in respect of the children and I understand that this will be done.