CAPTAIN CRAIG (Down, E.)I beg to ask the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he is aware that the Political and Constabulary Departments in Northern Nigeria are singled out for exceptionally disadvantageous treatment in the matter of leave, inasmuch as these two Departments only get five months for eighteen months' service, whereas in comparison with other Departments the proportion should be six months; and is he aware that the Political Department for some time received £50 extra for doing an eighteen months tour of service, which has recently been withheld from them although the tour remains the same, and the officers, with few exceptions, have to live in mud huts, and seeing that the cost of living is on the increase, will he take the case of these officers into consideration.
§ ME. CHURCHILLNO disadvantageous treatment is admitted. The length of leave granted to officers of the Departments referred to is determined on medical grounds, and is not to be settled by strict comparison with the leave granted to officers employed in more sedentary work. The salaries of political officers were raised at the time the system was introduced, but it was recognised that an increase was desirable on general grounds, and was not to be regarded simply as compensation for the longer
† See Col. 115.538 tour of service. No portion of this increase has been "withheld," but new appointments to the lowest grade are now made at £300 a year instead of at £350.