Oral Answers to Questions — Agriculture. – in the House of Commons at on 14 December 1939.
Mr Rhys Davies
, Westhoughton
asked the Minister of Health whether he is aware that a referee has recently decided that a nurse, a British subject whose home is in Great Britain, serving with a British unit of His Majesty's Forces in India for some years, is not entitled on her return to this country to become a voluntary contributor under the Widows', Orphans' and Old Age Contributory Pensions (Voluntary Contributors) Act, 1937, because she had not been resident in Great Britain for a period of not less than 10 years immediately before her notice to join tie scheme; and will he amend the law in order to avoid excluding certain members of His Majesty's Forces now serving overseas from this scheme when they return home at the close of the war?
Mr Walter Elliot
, Glasgow Kelvingrove
I am aware of the decision to which the hon. Member refers. It is only in exceptional cases that service abroad as a member of His Majesty's Forces results in disqualification for voluntary pensions insurance, but I will certainly consider the hon. Member's suggestion for dealing with such cases.
Mr Rhys Davies
, Westhoughton
Does the right hon. Gentleman not think it grossly unfair that a nurse serving with a British unit in India is penalised in this way, and will he be good enough to reopen the case?
Mr Walter Elliot
, Glasgow Kelvingrove
I cannot have made myself clear to the hon. Member. I said I would certainly consider his suggestion.
Ministers make up the Government and almost all are members of the House of Lords or the House of Commons. There are three main types of Minister. Departmental Ministers are in charge of Government Departments. The Government is divided into different Departments which have responsibilities for different areas. For example the Treasury is in charge of Government spending. Departmental Ministers in the Cabinet are generally called 'Secretary of State' but some have special titles such as Chancellor of the Exchequer. Ministers of State and Junior Ministers assist the ministers in charge of the department. They normally have responsibility for a particular area within the department and are sometimes given a title that reflects this - for example Minister of Transport.
