§ 42. Mr. SAMUEL SAMUELasked whether, although numbers of promotions have been given in other branches of the Service to correspond with the increase in the Army, no additional substantive promotions to chief paymaster or staff paymaster have been made in the Army Pay Department since the outbreak of the War; and whether, in spite of the increase of work and responsibility thrown upon the officers of the Army Pay Department, absorptions are still being made of one vacancy in every three for steps to chief paymaster and staff paymaster, resulting in a complete deadlock of promotion, only one promotion to chief and two to staff paymasters having been made between 5th August, 1914, and 31st December, 1915?
§ Mr. FORSTERThe facts are generally as stated, but two recent promotions with antedates have made the numbers of promotion to chief and staff paymaster two and three respectively. The temporary increase of work has been met by temporary promotions carrying pay and substantive promotion must continue to be governed by the permanent establishment, of which the actual numbers in higher ranks are already in excess.