§ Mr. Ian Lloydasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will now take steps to ensure that widows of policemen and firemen killed while carrying out similar duties at special service incidents receive in each case an augmented pension.
§ Mr. Whitakerasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will now take steps to ensure that full pensions are paid as a result of any death or injury to a fireman on any kind of public duty.
§ Mr. Merlyn ReesThe firemen's and the police pensions schemes have for long made special provision for firemen and policemen who retire as the result of injuries sustained on all kinds of duty; and for a special pension to be paid to the widows of men who die as a result of those injuries.
Both schemes provide additionally for an augmented special pension and a gratuity to a widow whose husband's death resulted from an injury in certain specified circumstances. Under the firemen's scheme, the circumstances are where, in the opinion of the fire authority, the fireman's death resulted from an injury received in attempting to save or prevent the loss of human life in the course of fire-fighting duty, and there was an intrinsic likelihood of his receiving a fatal injury. This provision was intended to be analogous to that for the police, regard being had to the different duties and risks of the two services.
My right hon. Friend has now agreed that the conditions for the payment of a widow's augmented award under the firemen's scheme should apply whether or not the duty was for fire-fighting purposes. A draft amendment to the scheme 29W has been sent to the local authority and fire service associations and to the Central Fire Brigades Advisory Councils for their consideration.
Any consequential amendment to the Police Pensions Regulations is initially a matter for consideration by the Police Council for Great Britain, to whom the matter is being referred. I shall be pleased to consider their recommendations in due course.