§ 14. Colonel YATEasked the Financial Secretary to the War Office whether a Regulation has been issued under which the value of an officer's pension or retired pay is to be set off against the salary of any post he may receive in a Government Department; and, if so, whether this is in accordance with the rules regulating the pensions for men?
§ Mr. FORSTERMy hon. and gallant Friend is presumably referring to the statutory rules made by the Treasury under Section 6 of the Superannuation Act of 1887 (Appendix II. of the Pay Warrant). These rules have been in force for thirty years, and require that officers drawing retired pay must have at least 10 per cent. deducted from their civil 876 emoluments, but no deduction is made which exceeds the amount of the retired pay, or reduces the total emoluments below the £400 a year. There is no corresponding rule for soldiers' pensions.
§ Colonel YATEIs it not time that the Warrant was altered? A man's pension once earned ought to be sacred, and why should a deduction be made?
§ Mr. FORSTERThe pension is sacred. The pension is not touched. It is a question of whether or not a retired officer should draw retired pay as well as the full emoluments of the post to which he is appointed. I would remind my hon. and gallant Friend that in this War, where we have recalled to service officers who are drawing retired pay, they have drawn full military pay on their appointment. Disapproval of this practice has been expressed on several occasions in this House.