§ 61. Mr. HUNTasked to whom wives of soldiers on service, not receiving the rightful allowance for themselves and their children from their husbands, are to apply to in order to get the right amount allowed?
Mr. BAKERCompulsory allotments are made by soldiers serving abroad or belonging to the Expeditionary Force. Application should be made to the Army Paymaster who pays the Reservists of the unit to which the men belong.
§ 64. Mr. PATRICK O'BRIENasked the Under-Secretary for War whether, in the case of men employed in the Pimlico Clothing Factory, Territorials or others, who have been called to the Colours, any, and, if so, what portion of their wages will be given to their families during their absence?
§ 68. Sir C. KINLOCH-COOKEasked what arrangements have been made concerning payments to the wives and dependants of men called up for service from the Army Ordnance Department?
Mr. BAKERThese men fall within the instructions issued by the Treasury on 20th August last, copies of which I will send to the hon. Members.
§ 81 and 82. Sir C. KINLOCH-COOKEasked the First Lord of the Admiralty (1) whether he is aware that in several cases where Naval Reserve men have been called up but have not yet gone afloat their wives are not receiving any separation allowances; and will he cause inquiry to be made into the matter; and (2) whether he is aware that many wives of men serving in His Majesty's Navy have been in the habit of receiving remittances by post from their husbands when at sea; that in several cases of men now serving on ships engaged on active service their wives have not received the usual remittances; and will he take steps to inform all naval men on active service how money can be remitted and when the money will be paid?
§ Dr. MACNAMARAEvery Reservist on mobilisation is entitled to a month's pay in advance. Those who have not yet gone afloat should have experienced no difficulty in transmitting remittances to their wives, for which every facility is offered. In point of fact, as I stated yesterday, remittances are being sent out from the Admiralty—apart from those sent direct by the men to their wives by postal orders—at the rate of something like 500 a day, as compared with the usual rate of 200 a day. As regards allotments, I have already stated that since mobilisation about 40,000 new allotments have been declared, largely by Reservists; and on Saturday next we shall send out from our office something like 120,000 monthly allotments. I recognise that under war conditions those men who favour the remittance plan may, when afloat, not invariably find the plan so easy to follow as under peace conditions but we issued on the 21st August general orders to Commanders-in-Chief, etc., directing that the system of regular allotments should be encouraged in preference to the system of remittances.
§ Sir C. KINLOCH-COOKEHave those orders been issued to the men of the Fleet?
§ Dr. MACNAMARAThey were issued on the 21st instant to the Commanders-in-Chief, who were asked to call the attention of the men to the desirability of allotments as against the remittance system.
§ 83. Sir C. KINLOCH-COOKEasked the First Lord of the Admiralty what arrangements have been made concerning payments to the wives and dependants of men recently employed in the Royal dockyards but since called up for service; whether those payments will be on the scale of the men's former wages; and, if not, and it is intended to pay the equivalent, will he say how and when the money will be paid?
§ Dr. MACNAMARAAs I said in reply to the hon. Gentleman yesterday, all regular dockyard employés will receive, when called up, the difference between their civil pay and their naval pay, if Naval Reservists, or the difference between their civil pay and their military pay, plus separation allowances, where payable, if Army Reservists. Departments are empowered to pay this civil pay, so reduced, to any person designated by the Reservist to receive the amount on his behalf. Further, so far as we are concerned, steps have been taken to enable the cashiers during the first month to make the payment in necessitous cases direct to the wife or other dependant relative of a Reservist who has failed to designate his nominee before leaving, subject to the production of the necessary evidence.