§ 48. Rear-Admiral Morgan-Gilesasked the Secretary of State for Defence why the widows' pension for widows of officers of the rank of colonel and above on the 1956 rank code is lower than that for officers retiring on earlier and later codes.
§ Mr. DuffyPension codes, which in more recent years have been related to pay, are affected by cost-of-living increases and have been operating in fluctuating economic conditions. There can therefore be no expectation of a stable relationship between the rates currently payable to widows on different codes. The disparities to which the hon. and gallant Member refers arise from a combination of factors. These disparities have been varied by developments in Service pay and pension schemes and by the cost-of-living increases which have been applied.