§ 18. Commander Viscount CURZONasked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether, in view of the withdrawal of the special exemption with regard to Income Tax, the pay of naval officers is now on a proper basis having regard to Recommendation No. 3 of the Halsey Report?
§ The FIRST LORD of the ADMIRALTY (Mr. Long)The Board of Admiralty in reviewing the Report of the Halsey Committee considered that the rates of pay recommended, after being subjected to to the higher tax, would be on a proper basis. This decision must be accepted, though it is realised that the increases of pay will be discounted to an appreciable extent thereby.
§ Viscount CURZONIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that this decision takes on an average from £00 to £100 off the naval officer's pay, that, he does not get the army officer's allowance, and that naval officers with children to educate are placed in a serious position?
§ Mr. LONGI quite appreciate that in certain cases there is a great deal of hardship, but there is a certain amount of misapprehension as to the position. The increase in the case of the naval officer is an increase in his pay. The army officer has an allowance. The one is of a permanent and the other is of 1252 a temporary character. The naval officer is not so much to the bad as my Noble Friend thinks in reference to that branch of the subject, but if he will be good enough to send me any cases showing what the disadvantages are, I will undertake to look very carefully into them.