§ MR. ARTHUR JEFFREYS (Hants, Basingstoke)I beg to ask the Secretary for War, whether non-commissioned 1658 officers who have not completed 21 years' service, even if they have served 20 years, are subject to have their pensions reduced by 25 per cent., and in addition to have a further sum of one penny a day deducted from such pension for each year not completed; whether a private may leave the Army, after completing 18 years' service, with a deduction of only a halfpenny a day for each incompleted year; and, what is the reason for such a difference?
§ * MR. CAMPBELL-BANNERMANNon-commissioned officers who have completed 18 years' service, but have not completed 21 years, are allowed to leave the service, for their own purposes, with a pension reduced 25 per cent. They are not subject to any further deduction. Privates, after 18 years' service, are subject to a deduction of 1d. a day for every year or portion of a year short of 21 years' service. Non-commissioned officers are of great value in the Army, and there is no wish to encourage them to retire prematurely.