Orders of the Day — Discharged Soldiers (Hospital Treatment)

Part of the debate – in the House of Commons at 12:00 am on 31 May 1945.

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Photo of Mr John Tinker Mr John Tinker , Leigh 12:00, 31 May 1945

I join with my colleagues and with the hon. Member opposite in making a plea to the Financial Secretary to the War Office to give full consideration to this question. I know it has been before the House before by way of Question and answer, but hon. Members have never obtained satisfaction, and this is one occasion on which we can say that we are not satisfied with the answer and when we can give the subject more advertisement. The hon. Member for Ipswich (Mr. Stokes) has done a great service in watching for an opportunity to bring the matter up.

As I understand it, the plea is this. First of all the Army do not treat their patients in the same way as patients in the Air Force and the Navy are treated. Ordinary treatment is given to the men in those two Services, but the men in the Army do not get the same kind of treatment. In the Army, a severely wounded man is sent to hospital, and before he has fully recovered or sent from hospital he is put on a pension and his Army pay ceases. There may be a reply to that charge, but for the life of me I cannot understand why a man, no matter to which Service he belongs, if he is severely wounded in carrying out his duties and has to be taken to hospital, should undergo that change of status. To all intents and purposes that man is doing a greater service to the country in hospital because it is due to what he has done that he is in hospital. Surely a grateful country, which at all times is praising our men, as on V-Day and on other occasions, lauding them and saying what gallant men they are—and they certainly deserve it—should do everything possible to remedy this injustice. This is one of the occasions on which we feel that a grave injustice is being done to the serving men. Any man suffering from wounds, no matter on what part of his body, should be on full pay until such time as he is sent from hospital and they can do no more for him.

Then comes the question of the rate of pension which should be given to him. There can be nothing more disagreeable for the man than to think that while he is being treated for his wounds in hospital he is to lose his uniform and is to become an ordinary civilian. While he is in receipt of treatment in hospital and until such time as he is allowed to leave hospital he should be kept on full rate of pay all the time. Is that too much to ask? If this went to the country on the plain issue I do not think the Government dare stand up to it. There may be a reply. We want to know what it is, but if it is on the same lines as previous replies the country will not be satisfied. I have heard the Financial Secretary to the War Office 'before, and I believe that if he had not been in his present job to-night he would have been here ready to help us in our attack on the Government. Of coarse, it is a difficult position, and I cannot blame him to-night, but I hope that when he gets into conclave with the Secretary of State for War, and he is asked for his opinion, he will tell the Secretary of State for War that this is the kind of thing which must be altered. After all, when you take up a Government post you have to consider the feelings of the House.

If I may say so, the Financial Secretary's chief is rather a hard man. He may be an efficient man—I am not saying one word against his efficiency—but he is rather hard on the men who are under him. That is the case, at any rate, so far as financial benefits are concerned. Unfortunately, he cannot be here to-night. I wish he could be, because it is easier to talk to the head man than to the Financial Secretary, and I am sure that if he had been here, the hon. Member for Ipswich would not have pulled any of his punches. However, he is not here, and the Financial Secretary is in hi place. If the hon. Gentleman cannot give us the answer that we want I hope he will tell his chief what we think about the position. An Election is impending, and if unfair treatment is to be meted out to tin Servicemen they will have something to say about it. Let us not forget that these men have given their all for the State, and should be treated fairly and justly.