§ Sir T. Beamishasked the Prime Minister (1) whether he will advise that the Albert Medal should now rank as equivalent to the George Cross in view of the official statement made in 1909 and subsequently reaffirmed that the Albert Medal remains the reward for acts of the highest devotion and courage in civil life;
(2) if he will now recommend the payment of the same annuity to holders of the Albert Medal and the Edward Medal as is paid to holders of the Victoria Cross and the George Cross, following the representations that have been made to him.
Dr. Bennettasked the Prime Minister (1) whether he will now advise the grant of financial recognition to the holders of the Albert Medal;
(2) whether he will advise the reinstatement of the Albert Medal to its former position immediately following the Victoria Cross in precedence.
§ The Prime MinisterI am glad to be able to announce that all surviving holders of the Albert and Edward Medals for gallantry will become entitled, as from today, to annual gratuities of £100. My right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer will include in next year's146W Finance Bill a proposal for the gratuities to be made exempt from tax, as are the equivalent George Cross annuities, with retrospective effect for payments already made. A supplementary estimate will be presented to Parliament in due course. In the meantime the necessary funds are being advanced from the Civil Contingencies Fund, and my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary will shortly be issuing advice on how the gratuities are to be claimed.
The payment of these gratuities is in itself a mark of exceptional recognition. I do not think that it would be either fitting or helpful to enter any further into the question of the relative status of gallantry awards.