§ 9. Colonel YATEasked the Secretary of State for War whether, considering that under Section 136 of the Army Act officers are entitled to full pay without any deduction while prisoners of war through no fault of their own, and in Section 985 of the Royal Warrant it is laid down that a soldier shall not forfeit his right to pay during his period of absence as a prisoner of war, unless proved to have been taken prisoner through misconduct on his own part, he will state by what Act, or under what Royal Warrant, or by what law passed by the Governor-General of India in Council, he has the right to deprive the officers of the Indian Army taken prisoners of war in the heroic defence of Kut of half their staff pay after the first two months of captivity.
§ Sir A. WILLIAMSON (Parliamentary Secretary, War Office)Section 136 of the Army Act does not mean that an officer is entitled to continue to draw full staff 201 pay apart from the conditions as to performance of the duties of the appointment and other matters, under which such staff pay is granted by Regulation. As Indian Regulations made no provision for the continuance of staff pay to an officer taken prisoner of war, a special Regulation was made on the subject, and of this Regulation the officers in question have received the full benefit. Article 985 of the Royal Warrant does not relate to officers.