§ 109. Mr. W. GRAHAMasked the Financial Secretary to the War Office whether he is aware that certain Scottish and other soldiers who have fulfilled the necessary conditions have been denied Russian colonial allowance because, as the War Office states, their pay accounts have been destroyed; and whether he will take action to prevent private soldiers suffering in this way because of Departmental action over which they have no control?
§ Mr. GWYNNEThis allowance ceased over three years ago. In 1920 a general poster was displayed in all post offices and elsewhere stating that claims to emoluments must be put in within three months of demobilisation. Exceptional latitude was given in the case of this Russian allowance, but, more than two years after claims were due, authority was given for the documents to be destroyed, to save storage and staff. The documents of the Great War were exceedingly voluminous, and it was not possible to keep them indefinitely with due regard to economy.