§ SIR FREDERICK MILNER (Nottinghamshire, Bassetlaw)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for War whether it has been officially decided that members of the St. John Ambulance Brigade who have served in South Africa are not entitled to the war gratuity that was by 1028 a recent Order awarded to all classes of troops engaged in the war; and whether, seeing that the members of the St. John Ambulance Brigade have been working with the Royal Army Medical Corps, doing the same duties and bearing the same risks and hardships, and also seeing that fifty out of the 1,900 members of the St. John Ambulance Brigade serving in South Africa have died in the execution of their duty, he will reconsider this decision.
§ MR. BRODRICKThe answer to the first paragraph of the question is in the affirmative. The war gratuity is a military gratuity, originally intended as a substitute for prize-money, and is not applicable to civilians employed on specific terms during the war. I may remind the hon. Member that members of the St. John Ambulance Brigade are paid at considerably higher rates than the corresponding ranks of the Royal Army Medical Corps.