§ 73 and 74. Mr. Robert Howarthasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he is aware of the effect of the operation of the 1968 Amendment Order to the Firemen's Pension Scheme Order, 1966, which prevents an enhanced pension being paid to a fireman's widow, even though he lost his life while on duty and trying to save the lives of other people; and what action he proposes to take to deal with the problem;
(2) what representations he has received regarding the operation of the 1968 Amendment Order to the Firemen's Pension Scheme Order, 1966, following the death of a Bolton fireman while trying to rescue three young children trapped in a gas filled cavity at Brackley Colliery near Bolton in April, 1968; and what reply he has sent.
§ Mr. EnnalsUnder the Firemen's Pension Scheme, the widow of a fireman who dies as the result of an injury on duty is entitled to a special pension, which is, being paid in the case referred to. Under the Amendment Order, the special pension may be augmented and a gratuity paid where a fireman dies as the result of an injury received in attempting to save life while on fire-fighting duties. I should see great difficulty in widening the scope of the existing provisions, but my right hon. Friend is considering representations from the Fire Brigades Union and the Association of Municipal Corporations arising from the distressing case in Bolton.