§ 17. Mr. Bellengerasked the Secretary of State for War whether he is aware that, under ACI 59/1940, which governs the rates of pay of retired officers and Royal Army Reserve of Officers, and ACI 76/ 1940, which governs the scales of pay of 1688 the Supplementary Reserve, Territorial Army and Territorial Army Reserve of Officers, there is a considerable discrepancy between the pay drawn by captains holding these different forms of commissions; and whether he will take steps to remedy this anomaly?
§ Mr. LawApart from increments in respect of length of service, differences in the rates of pay drawn by captains arise mainly from the fact that, when the pay scales for the Army were revised in 1925 and 1938, officers already serving were given the option of retaining the old rates, where these were considered to be more favourable. Retired officers and officers of the Regular Army Reserve of Officers were naturally given the same conditions as Regular officers, and officers of the Territorial Army Reserve of Officers the same conditions as officers on the active list of the Territorial Army. My hon. Friend will appreciate that in the circumstances it would not be possible to introduce a standard rate of pay for captains without depriving officers commissioned before 1938 of the rights guaranteed to them under earlier pay scales.
§ Mr. BellengerIs the hon. Gentleman aware that quite often Territorial officers with a certain length of service are drawing considerably more than officers of equivalent rank who are holding war emergency commissions? Does he think that is equitable?
§ Mr. LawI have given a somewhat detailed Reply to this Question and tried to explain how the discrepancy arises. If the hon. Member would study the Reply and communicate with me afterwards, it might save time.