§ 56. Mr. HOGGEasked the Secretary to the Treasury whether he is aware that the Treasury Sick-Leave Regulations operate harshly in the case of Civil servants discharged from the Army on account of sickness or wounds; and whether, seeing that these Regulations were not designed to meet the present abnormal conditions, he will consider, in the case of discharged soldiers, the possibility of suspending the Regulation which reduces a man to half-pay at the end of six months?
§ Mr. BALDWIN:(Joint Financial Secretary to the Treasury): The primary responsibility for meeting the case of Civil servants, as of other soldiers, who are discharged from the forces on account of sickness or wounds, rests with the 310 Pensions Ministry. Civil servants are, however, given their ordinary sick-pay privileges, provided that the amount of Civil pay issued does not exceed, with Army or Navy pension, the full pay of their posts. These privileges, therefore, represent a benefit beyond what the ordinary private employé would obtain, and I am not at present satisfied that there is any ground for increasing them.
§ Mr. HOGGEIs my hon. Friend conversant with the fact that these men are in a special position and that the existing Regulations refer to normal conditions, and would he not, therefore, be prepared to consider these abnormal conditions?