§ Major Milnerasked the Secretary of State for War whether he has given con- 196W sideration to the suggestions relating to the Army made in the Debate on service pay and dependants' allowances on 16th October, and with what result?
§ Captain MargessonI have carefully considered what was said in the Debate but I think we must await the results of the scheme announced by my right hon. Friend the Minister of Pensions before considering any further changes in the rates of pay and allowances.
§ Mr. Grovesasked the Secretary of State for War whether he is aware that the London area allowance to Service men's wives is stopped on their leaving the London area, and as there is to-day no real difference in the cos1 of living in and around 50 miles of London, he will make arrangements for the continuance of such extra grant for six months to the soldier's wife compelled to evacuate?
§ Captain MargessonI would refer my hon. Friend to the answer given to my hon. Friend the Member for West Leyton (Mr. Sorensen) on 7th October. I am afraid that continuance of the allowance for a period of six months to wives evacuated from the London area would only add to the anomalies which admittedly exist under the present system.
§ Mr. Ness Edwardsasked the Secretary of State for War whether the provisions of the Determination of Needs Regulations, 1936, are applied in calculating the household income of applicants for Army allowances; and whether he has considered conferring upon these dependants of serving men the advantages now applied in the calculation of hardship allowances, by applying the provisions of the Determination of Needs Act, 1941?
§ Captain MargessonThe regulations governing dependants' allowance for dependants other than wives and children were revised in April last in the light of the principles underlying the Determination of Needs Act, 1941, and the main provisions of that Act were applied to the Army scheme. Full particulars of the changes made at that time are given in Command Paper 6260. No such considerations arise, of course, in the case of family allowance in respect of wives and children which is not subject to a test of need.
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§ Major Milnerasked the Secretary of State for War what payment is made to a soldier on demobilisation; and whether any special provision is made enabling serving soldiers to invest any surplus moneys in Government securities, or otherwise, with a view to assisting the savings movement, and having funds available for re-establishment in civil life?
§ Captain MargessonA soldier on demobilisation will be paid any credit standing to his account, and will normally receive 14 days' demobilisation furlough with full pay and allowances. A soldier discharged permanently unfit on medical grounds receives at least 28 days' furlough with pay and allowances, and pay and allowances for this period are also issued if he is in hospital and cannot proceed on furlough. In either case the man goes to civil life with all his health and, unemployment insurance contributions paid up to date. As regards the second part of the Question, facilities exist for soldiers at home and abroad to make deposits in the Post Office Savings Bank through their pay accounts, and to arrange for National Savings Certificates or Government stock to be purchased on their behalf. Every effort is made by the Army Savings Association, through its Assistant Commissioners who are in constant touch with the troops, to encourage savings.