§ 36 Mr. JAMES MASONasked the Financial Secretary (1) whether he is aware that agricultural workers in low medical categories have been compulsorily enlisted and returned after a few weeks' military training in this country to work on the land, and that such-men are now receiving full civilian 197 pay for their work, while their wives are being paid in addition full separation allowances, even in cases where the man has returned to his own home and is working on precisely the same work as before enlistment and at advanced wages; whether he contemplates altering this arrangement; (2) if he will state how many soldiers are now engaged in agricultural work of any kind drawing full civilian pay for this civilian work and whose wives are at the same time drawing separation and children's allowances; (3) whether he is aware that the payment to soldiers, after a few weeks' military training in this country, now engaged on agricultural work of full civilian pay with separation allowance to their wives is the cause of much discontent among soldiers engaged in combatant service who receive only military pay with separation allowance, and among civilians engaged on similar agricultural work who receive only civilian pay and no separation allowance; and whether he will take steps to put a stop to these cases of unfairness?
§ The FINANCIAL SECRETARY to the WAR OFFICE (Mr. Forster)I can assure my hon. Friend that the references he recently made in Debate to this subject are receiving full and careful consideration.
§ Mr. MASONHas the right hon. Gentleman an idea as to the cost to the country which this arrangement is creating or the amount of unrest and disturbance which this unfairness is also creating in the country?
§ Mr. FORSTERI am afraid that I cannot give my hon. Friend the figures without making an elaborate inquiry, which would involve a very great deal of time, but I can assure him that the War Office realises fully the feeling that exists in reference to this question.