§ 15. Colonel YATEasked the Secretary of State for India if he can now state what increase of pay and allowances has been granted to the British and Indian officers and men of the Indian Army?
§ The SECRETARY of STATE for INDIA (Mr. Montagu)I will circulate the figures in the OFFICIAL REPORT.
§ The following are the particulars referred to:—
§ Since the beginning of the War the pay of Indian Infantry officers has been raised, as follows:—
| Subadar Majors by | Rs.30 per mensem. |
| Subadars by | Rs.20 per mensem. |
| Jemadars by | Rs.10 per mensem. |
§ Their field service batta has also been permanently increased by Rs.1½ permensem, to which a further temporary addition for the present War has been made of Rs.2 for Jemadars and Rs.3½ for Subadars and Subadar Majors
§ The pay of N.C.O's of the Indian Army has been raised as follows:—
| Havildars by | Rs..2 per mensem. |
| Naiks by | Rs.1 per mensem. |
§ The field service batta of N.C.O's and men has been permanently increased by Rs.1½ per mensem, to which a further temporary addition has been made for the present War of Rs.1½ for Havildars and Naiks and Rs.2 for men.
§ Corresponding increases in pay and field batta have been made for the Indian officers and men of the Cavalry branch.
§ As a temporary measure, a bonus of Rs.15 will be given to each recruit on the completion of his training or on his proceeding overseas, whichever happens first. Also to officers and men for every completed six months' service ranging from Rs.60 for Subadars down to Rs.24 for N.C.O's and men.
§ Colonel YATEMay I ask if the right hon. Gentleman can say whether any increase is to be given to British officers in the Indan Army? Has he heard how absolutely impossible it is for these officers to live on their pay now in India?
§ Mr. MONTAGUThere is an increase, as the hon. and gallant Gentleman knows, in the children's allowances. I am answering a similar question asked by the hon. Member for Devizes (Mr. Peto) later on.
§ 17. Colonel YATEasked the Secretary of State for India whether it has been brought to his notice that the families of officers of the Indian Army whose regiments have been serving out of India have been put to inconvenience owing to the immediate stoppage of the family allotments paid through the India Office on the return of the officer to India and before that officer could make arrangements in India for the remittance of money to his family direct; whether he will consider the question of cancelling the order for the stoppage of the payment of these family allotments directly an officer returns to India and permit them to be continued, if the officer wishes it, till the end of the War; and whether, considering the constant moves and changes that are going on amongst officers in India, it may be possible to permit all officers of the Indian Army, whether serving in or out of India, to have family allotments paid through the India Office so long as hostilities continue?
§ Mr. MONTAGUI hope that the cases of inconvenience mentioned by the hon. and gallant Member are exceptional, as I have endeavoured to secure that officers returning from an Expeditionary Force to duty in India receive notice in time to 411 make their own arrangements forthwith for remitting money to their families. I will, however, again draw the Government of India's attention to this matter.
I cannot undertake to extend to officers of the Indian Army serving in India the special arrangements for making family remittances through the India Office which have been conceded to officers of the Indian Army serving with an Expeditionary Force. It would involve a heavy increase of work in the Accounts Department of the India Office, which hitherto has been discharged by Indian banks and Army agents, and with which the depleted staff of the Department is ill-fitted to deal.
§ 19. Mr. PETOasked the Secretary of State for India whether he is aware that during the War the cost to officers of servants, housing accommodation, and other expenses has, approximatey, doubled; and whether it is proposed to grant any increase in the pay of officers above the rank of lieutenant to meet the cost of these increased expenses?
§ Mr. MONTAGUExcept as regards the proposed extension of children's allowances to officers of the Indian Army, no question of increase of pay drawn in India by officers above the rank of lieutenant is at present under consideration.
§ Mr. PETOMay I ask two questions—firstly, whether the right hon. Gentleman will at once take into consideration this question of an increase of pay, to meet the enormously increased cost of living, of officers above the rank of lieutenant; and, secondly, whether he can give me any idea as to when the children's allowances will actually be made available and be paid to the wives of officers who are serving and who have not, so far as I know, received anything whatever?
§ Mr. MONTAGUThe children's allowances will be made at once available, and they are to be retrospective in effect. With regard to the other question of the hon. Member, the matter has been under consideration with the Government of India for some time, and they have made no recommendation except in regard to the children's allowances for officers above the rank of lieutenant.
§ Mr. PETOWill the right hon. Gentleman make fresh representations to the Government of India, in view of the statement made, which he does not deny, in the question on the Paper?
§ Mr. MONTAGUI cannot be understood as admitting my hon. Friend's calculation that the cost of living in India has been doubled. I have no evidence that this is the fact, but I will see that his questions and arguments are conveyed to the Government of India.