§ Colonel YATE(by Private Notice) asked the Financial Secretary to the War Office if he is now in a position to state what provision has been made for the families of officers of the junior ranks?
§ Mr. FORSTERTreasury authority has now been obtained for a scheme whereby officers in the Army under the rank of 909 major, or equivalent rank in the Navy, may, under certain conditions, obtain a maintenance allowance from public funds for their children. These allowances will be made by the Military Service Civil Liabilities Committee, and will be supplementary to the grants which are already made by that Committee in respect of rent, rates, insurance, school fees, etc. The present limit of £104 per annum may be increased by any amount which may be given for maintenance allowance. Applications for grants must be made on a prescribed form, which will be obtainable from the Army and Navy Agents and from the Civil Liabilities Committee. Information in regard to the conditions under which the grants will be given is being circulated in Army Orders.
§ Colonel YATEIs there no provision for the wives of junior officers, dependant mothers, or other dependants on junior officers?
§ Mr. FORSTERNot in the form of this allowance. The maintenance allowance is confined to those households where there are children.
§ Colonel YATEDoes not the wife require maintenance as much as children?
§ Mr. FORSTERNot without children.
§ Mr. BILLINGAre there not many thousands of young officers in this country whose obligations are such as to make them even worse off than privates in the Army?
§ Mr. FORSTERThe arrangement communicated to the House is intended to obviate that hardship. I must remind the hon. Gentleman that the Civil Liabilities Committee have already a scheme by which they can assist officers with regard to rates, insurance, interest on mortgage, and matters of that kind.
§ Colonel M'CALMONTAre we to understand that these grants are only to be made on application, and, if so, will it be made quite clear that officers have to apply for them before they can get them?
§ Mr. FORSTERYes; these grants can only be given on application. I am taking special steps to call the attention of officers of the Army to the opportunities which are given.
§ Mr. G. FABERWill the machinery of application be made as simple as possible?
§ Mr. FORSTERI hope so. I want to make this as easy for the officers as I 910 possibly can. Officers at home will have to apply themselves. In the case of officers abroad application may be made by the wife or the guardian of the children.