Greenwich Hospital Act 1883

Powers for grant of Pensions, &c. out of Greenwich Hospital Funds

2 Power to grant pensions, allowances, and gratuities.

The Admiralty may out of the funds of Greenwich Hospital from time to time grant pensions to widows and allowances to children of—

(a) Non-commissioned officers and petty officers and men of the Royal Navy and Marines killed or drowned in the service of the Crown, or on lifeboat service ; and of

(b) Men of the Royal Naval Volunteers killed or drowned in the service of the Crown; and of

(c) Men killed or drowned in the service of the Crown while serving in the Seamen Pensioners' Reserve ; and of

(d) Men of the Royal Naval Artillery Volunteer Force killed or drowned in the service of the Crown.

The Admiralty may out of the said funds from time to time grant gratuities to parents or other relatives dependent on any such non-commissioned officer, petty officer, or man, as aforesaid, killed, drowned, or deceased as aforesaid, so, however, that the total expenditure in such gratuities shall not exceed in any one year the sum of five hundred pounds.

The Admiralty may, if they see fit, by regulations made as hereinafter mentioned, extend the powers and provisions of this section to cases where such non-commissioned officers, petty officers, or men as aforesaid, die from the effects of any injury or disease cause by extraordinary exposure or exertion in the service of the Crown.

No person shall be eligible to receive any benefit under this section on account of the decease of any such non-commissioned officer, petty officer, or man as aforesaid, which took place before the fourth clay of June one thousand eight hundred and eighty.

3 Power to provide for education and maintenance of sons of seamen, &c.

The Admiralty may out of the funds of Greenwich Hospital from time to time provide wholly or in part for the education and maintenance of sons of deceased or incapacitated warrant officers, non-commissioned officers, petty officers, and men of the Royal Navy and Marines, and also for the education and maintenance of sons, of men of the Royal Naval Volunteers and Royal Naval Artillery Volunteer Force killed or drowned in the service of the Crown.

4 Regulations by Admiralty.

Subject to the provisions of this Act, the Admiralty may from time to time make such regulations as may seem fit for determining the nature and amount of the pensions, allowances, gratuities, and payments for education and maintenance to be granted or made under the powers of this Act, according to the-circumstances of different cases, and for governing the selection of the persons to receive the benefit of this Act. Regulations made by the Admiralty under this Act shall not have effect unless and until they are approved by Her Majesty in Council.

5 Pensions, &c. to be voted by Parliament, and money to be repaid.

All pensions allowances gratuities and payments granted or made under the authority of this Act, shall be in the first instance defrayed out of money provided by Parliament for that purpose, and shall be repaid to the Consolidated Fund of the United Kingdom from, the Greenwich Hospital Income Account in like manner as money expended out of money provided by Parliament for the purposes of the Greenwich Hospital Act, 1865, is repaid thereto.

6 Removal of doubts as to grants under Order in Council of 1875.

All gratuities or allowances purporting to have been granted or made before the passing of this Act under the authority of an Order of her Majesty in Council dated the fourth day of February one thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, shall be deemed to have been authorised by the [28 & 29 Vict. c. 89.] Greenwich Hospital Act, 1865.

7 Decision of Admiralty respecting grants conclusive.

The decision of the Admiralty respecting the eligibility of any person to receive any benefit under the Acts, Orders in Council, and regulations which govern the administration of the revenues of Greenwich Hospital, or respecting any other question arising as to the appointment or grant of any pension, allowance, gratuity, or benefit under those Acts, Orders, and regulations, shall be binding and conclusive to and for all intents and purposes.