§ 53. Major-General Sir Alfred Knoxasked the Secretary of State for War how many married men have been enlisted since such enlistment was permitted?
§ Mr. Hore-Belisha156, up to the end of April, 1938.
§ 54. Sir A. Knoxasked the Secretary of State for War how many of the married men enlisted are over 26 years of age, and therefore entitled to married allow ances for wife and children?
§ Mr. Hore-Belisha97 of the married men enlisted were over 26 years of age on enlistment.
§ 55. Sir A. Knoxasked the Secretary of State for War the total charge to Army Estimates of the married men over 26 years of age who are in receipt of married allowances, as compared with the charge to Army Estimates of a similar number of men unmarried?
§ Mr. Hore-BelishaThe cost of an individual married soldier varies in accordance with his rank and the size of his family, and as, in addition to family allowance, he is entitled to free conveyance and disturbance allowance, free medical attendance, and rations and 220 colonial allowance when abroad, on account of his family, it is impossible to state at any given time the exact cost of the number of such men, compared with the cost of a similar number of single men.
§ Sir A. KnoxWill the right hon. Gentleman state approximately what is the extra cost? Is not the cost of these married men about double what it is for single men, and are not single men much more efficient for the purposes of the Army?