§ MR. CLAUDE HAY (Shoreditch, Hoxton)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for War, whether he is aware that Private Albert Finson, 20th Hussars (Depôt, Hounslow), returned to this country from South Africa more than two months ago, and, all his papers being in order, after communicating with his commanding officer to obtain the pay due to him, succeeded in seeing the Permanent Under Secretary of State for War on the 30th ultimo and received £14 out of the £28 due to him the following day; and whether he will state why the pay due to this man has been withheld, in contravention of the Army Orders, which provide that only one week should intervene between the first and final settlement of pay due to reservists and time expired men on their return from the war.
I beg also to ask the Secretary of State for War whether he is aware that Privates Wright, Denton, Andrews, and Haughton, 4th Hussars, now attached to the regimental depôt at Hounslow, reached England by the "Hawarden Castle" on 13th September on their return from the war; whether these men received £5 of pay due to them on 14th September, 1902, and £3 on 20th October, 1902, while the pay due to them is about £25; and, seeing that 592 these men have discharge certificates and their parchment characters, will he say why the settlement of pay due to them was not made on 21st September 1902, in accordance with Army Order, September 1902, which lays down that one week should intervene between the first and final settlement of all pay due to them; and whether all the papers and officers necessary to secure the prompt payment reached the United Kingdom at the same time as these men.
LORD STANLEYThe men referred to in these two Questions have now been settled with. The cause of the delay is being made the subject of further inquiry.
§ MR. CLAUDE HAYIs it not the fact that immediately after these Questions appeared on the Paper these men were paid and no questions were asked about their papers?