§ Mr. ChurchillTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the three Grenadier guardsmen who lost their legs and sustained other injuries in the course of their duties on a live firing range in Canada in July 1989 have received the automatic payments to service men when they are invalided out of the service including a tax-free war pension, a tax-free service pension and a tax-free lump sum and terminal grant; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Archie HamiltonOnly one of the guardsmen has been discharged from the Army. He was awarded an immediate service invaliding pension and terminal grant by the Ministry of Defence. A war disablement pension, which is administered by the Department of Social Security and is payable following discharge from the armed forces only where a disability is due to or aggravated by military service, has been awarded at the 100 per cent. rate and a payment issued. This is tax free. As a result, his service invaliding pension, which has been in issue from the date of discharge, has been converted to a higher, tax-free, service attributable pension. He has also been awarded an additional tax-free lump sum.