§ MAJOR RASCH (Essex, S.E., on behalf of the hon. Member for Bath, Colonel WYNDHAM MURRAY)I beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for War whether officers of the Reserve who have retired on a gratuity earned during past service, and who have now volunteered for duty with the Royal Reserve battalions, have been informed that a deduction will be made from their pay on a calculation according to the value of such gratuity, and whether notice was given of such deduction before their services were accepted; and whether officers who return to mounted duty with reserve battalions will receive a proportionately larger allowance for the provision of horses and saddlery than those returning for company duty.
§ COLONEL M'CALMONT (Antrim, E.)I beg at the same time to ask the Under Secretary of State for War whether Militia officers who have served in the Army, and retired on receipt of gratuity, subsequently joining the Militia, are now on embodiment mulcted at the rate of 5 per cent. on such gratuity, thus reducing the pay in the case of a commanding officer who had served in the Army by £60 to £70 a year, as compared with one who had never served.
§ MR. WYNDHAMNo officer is allowed to draw both retired pay and full pay; and it has always been held that the gratuities given to officers on retirement are a commutation or capitalising of retired pay. Therefore, unless a deduction is made, it is held that the officer who retired with a gratuity is unfairly favoured as compared with the officer who retired on a pension. But the question is now being again considered. In reply to the second paragraph of the question of the hon. Member for Bath, mounted officers receive higher rates of pay to cover their greater expenses, and no special allowance will be made to them.