§ MAJOR NOLANasked the Secretary of State for War, If the late Warrant for the Army Pay Department purports to appoint, from the 1st April, all former Paymasters of the Army to the position of Departmental Paymasters, such Departmental Paymasters to serve for the future with pay and advantages uniform in their respective grades; if such Paymasters as were formerly Control Paymasters are exempt from finding security for moneys drawn by them since the 1st April; and, if this is the case, is he prepared to exempt also from finding security for moneys drawn since that date such Departmental Paymasters as were previously Regimental Paymasters; if he is aware that the practical method in which Paymasters have often been in the habit of obtaining security has been by subscribing £10 from the 1st April of each year to an Assurance Society; 1093 and, if the effect of any delay in giving them the same exemption as the late Control Paymasters will not be to lessen their annual pay by £10?
§ COLONEL STANLEYSir, with the exception of a few regimental paymasters, who have elected to remain under their previous Warrant, all the regimental paymasters have been appointed departmental paymasters, and will serve with the pay and advantages common to all the members of the department. It has accordingly been decided to relieve them from the necessity of giving security on condition of their being found, after inspection, to have conducted their office work satisfactorily. I am aware that in very many cases the providing security has involved expense to the paymasters. Consequently, release from such obligation will be equivalent to increasing their pay by the amount of the subscriptions now paid by them.