REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE | WEDNESDAY, November 5, 2003 |
The Standing Senate Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology
has the honour to present its
SIXTEENTH REPORT
Your
Committee, to which was referred Bill C-50, An Act to amend statute
law in respect of benefits for veterans and the children of deceased veterans, has,
in obedience to the Order of Reference of Wednesday,
October 29, 2003, examined the said Bill and now reports the same without
amendments
Your
Committee appends to this report certain observations on the Bill.
Respectfully submitted,
JANE CORDY
For
the Chair
APPENDIX
Bill
C-50, An Act to amend statute law in respect of benefits for veterans
and the children of deceased veterans
Observations
of the Standing Senate Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology
OBSERVATIONS
The Standing
Senate Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology supports the decision
of Veterans Affairs Canada to extend the Veterans Independence Program (VIP)
benefits provided to surviving spouses of Veterans who were in receipt of such
benefits at the time of their death from one year to a lifetime.
The members of the Committee do unanimously agree that the Government should take all possible means to provide lifetime VIP benefits to all qualified surviving spouses of Veterans receiving such benefits at the time of their death and not just to those now eligible for such benefits following the amendments made in June 2003 to the Veterans Health Care Regulations.