Written Answers To Questions
Friday, 26th January, 1951
Royal Irish Constabulary (Pensions)
asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will give a statement of the pensions now being paid to retired members of the Royal Irish Constabulary classified in accordance with the dates of retirement, including subsequent increases; and how far these pensions are permanent and stabilised.
The amount of these awards varies according to the length of service and the pay on retirement of the individual pensioner, of whom there are nearly 9,000, and the information for which the right hon. Gentleman asks could not be obtained without an examination of the facts of each particular case. Information as to the types of award and the total amount paid annually in respect of each class of award is given in the Civil Estimates (Class VIII).These awards may be forfeited for misconduct, suspended during service in another police force, abated in respect of a second police pension, and in some cases commuted for a lump sum payment. Apart from these provisions the awards were originally assessed at a fixed rate throughout the pensioner's lifetime, but the Pensions (Increase) Acts, 1920 to 1947, apply to them as they do to other comparable pensions payable in respect of public service.
Armed Forces (Deserters)
asked the Minister of Defence how many deserters were apprehended during 1950 and how many gave themselves up; of these two categories, how many were also proceeded against for civil offences; how many were at large on 1st January, 1951; and whether he will give some indication of the various periods they have been at large.
During 1950, 1,615 deserters from all three Services were apprehended and 703 gave themselves up. It is not possible to say how many of these were charged with civil offences.At the end of the year 1,415 deserters from the Royal Navy and Royal Marines,
13,687 from the Army and 4,486 from the Royal Air Force, a total of 19,588 were nominally still at large. These figures take no account of desertions before September, 1939, but, as I have previously explained to the House, they do include: (
a) over 10,000 with home addresses outside the United Kingdom; ( b) many who have deserted abroad; and ( c) a substantial number of multiple desertions. Probably not more than 7,000 or 8,000 are still at large in this country; the true figure may well be smaller.
I regret that no estimate can be given of the length of time for which the Naval and Royal Marine deserters have been at large, but of those from the Army 3,129 have deserted since August, 1945. The Royal Air Force total includes 371 believed to be still in the United Kingdom, of whom 189 have deserted since the end of the war.
War Graves, United States
asked the Secretary of State for War whether he is aware that the British war graves in the Evergreen Memorial Park, Portsmouth, Virginia, are in a neglected and uncared for condition; and whether he will take immediate steps to ensure that these graves are put into a decent condition and properly tended.
As the hon. and gallant Member is aware from his recent correspondence with the Imperial War Graves Commission, the allegation that these graves are neglected is being investigated by the Commission's Canadian Agency, who are responsible for seeing that the arrangements for maintaining British war graves in the United States are carried out. As soon as the report is received it will be sent to him.
Flour Subsidy
asked the Minister of Food in respect of what quantities of flour, subsidy has been paid in the years 1946, 1949 and 1950, respectively.
The quantities of flour on which subsidy was payable for the years 1946, 1949 and 1950, were about 4,800,000 tons, 4,764,000 tons and 4,374,000 tons, respectively.