§ 13. Commander BELLAIRSasked the Under-Secretary of State for War whether he is aware that, while Article 361 of the Royal Pay Warrant. 1914, provides for the issue of charge pay to officers in charge of a general or other hospital, or of a division of a general hospital, the War Office letter 48/A.M.C./895 (A.M.D. 1) of 21st November, 1917, limits the issue of charge pay to the officers in charge of the surgical and medical divisions only of certain hospitals; whether he is aware that the medical officer in charge of the mental division of 1,000 beds in the Lord Derby War Hospital, Warrington, has been refused charge pay, although the medical officers in charge of the medical and surgical divisions in the same hospital of 462 and 1,538 beds, respectively, are recognised as eligible for charge pay if drawing full Army pay; and whether he will take immediate steps to amend the interpretation which the War Office appears to have placed on Article 361 of the Royal Pay Warrant, 1914, so as to permit of the issue of charge pay to the 1413 medical officer in charge of any division of a recognised general hospital possessing the requisite number of equipped beds?
§ Mr. FORSTERThe letter in question merely explained the provisions of the Royal Warrant governing the issue of charge pay. The Warrant allows charge pay for the divisions of a general hospital, and these hospitals are invariably organised into two divisions—medical and surgical—the former including all cases that are not surgical in character, and it is not proposed in this case to alter the practice of the service. The mental cases in the Lord Derby War Hospital are treated in the mental section of the medical division.
§ Commander BELLAIRSIn view of the mental divisions being comparatively few, could not the right hon. Gentleman get the War Office to adopt a broad view so that where a man is responsible for as many as a thousand men he should have charge pay when medical officers in charge of medical divisions at Parkhill are getting charge pay?
Sir GARROD THOMASIs it not a fact that the medical officer in charge of the mental division at this hospital is not subordinate to any other officer in the institution, except, of course, the colonel in command; and is it not a fact that the mental division and the medical division are entirely different departments, housed in different blocks and officered by entirely different staffs; and is not the medical officer in charge of the mental department alone entirely responsible for the mental cases under his care?
§ Mr. SPEAKERThe hon. Gentleman should give notice of those questions.
§ Mr. FORSTERI have explained clearly the practice of the Service. It might happen in some cases that the officer in charge of the mental cases might be in charge of the medical division. In that case he would get charge pay.