§ 37. Mr. HOUSTONasked the Financial Secretary to the War Office whether he is aware that Brigadier-General G. S. 232 Elliot was recently appointed by the War Office to a post of importance abroad; whether he is aware of the injury and financial loss inflicted upon this gallant officer by being relieved of his late command without either court-martial or exhaustive inquiry at which he was present; whether he is aware that Brigadier-General Elliot now ranks as a lieutenant-colonel, that he is a professional soldier who has given meritorious service in the Army and is dependent for his income upon his professional pay, that his being put on half-pay through no fault of his own for about eleven months has inflicted upon him a loss of pay amounting to over £600, and that now he is only receiving the pay of a lieutenant-colonel, which is considerably less than half that of a brigadier-general; and whether he can see his way to make up the financial loss occasioned to Brigadier-General Elliot, especially in view of the fact that during the time he was on half-pay from the War Office he was working for another Government Department without pay?
§ Mr. FORSTERColonel G. S. Elliot now holds the rank of colonel, which is his substantive rank, and fills an appointment which carries the pay of lieutenant-colonel. I am afraid that I cannot adopt the suggestion in the last part of the question.
§ Mr. HOUSTONMay I ask my right hon. Friend to give further and sympathetic consideration to this question, bearing in mind the peculiar circumstances under which General Elliot was relieved of his command, and the hardship inflicted?
§ Mr. FORSTERI have looked into the matter with every sympathy, but my hon. Friend will realise that in matters involving questions of pay we have to be very strict.