9. Mr. PALMERasked the Secretary of State for India who is responsible for the delay in despatching the pay-sheets of men transferred from India to Great Britain; is there any reason why such sheets should be months behind, seeing that the delay causes serious financial 1190 embarrassment to our soldiers and ex-soldiers; if he is aware that numerous and serious complaints have passed from the War Office to the India Office; and is the difficulty due to the fact that the bulk of this work in the Indian pay offices is in the hands of native clerks?
§ Mr. MONTAGUThe resources of the Indian Military Accounts Department have been severely strained in dealing with the very heavy task of preparing and sending home the pay documents of British troops returning from India and Mesopotamia for demobilisation. The bulk of the work is, however, now completed. The Government of India were extremely anxious to obtain the services of additional staff from the Army Pay Corps for this work, but the War Office was unable to spare any personnel.