§ 24 and 25. Colonel WOODCOCKasked the Secretary of State for War (1) the total staff of the medals branch at the War Office for the past three years and the total number of medals issued during the respective periods, together with the total cost of the department for each of those years;
(2) the ranks of the officers employed in the medals branch at the War Office included in the 32 members of its staff; the total cost of pay and allowances of the officers employed and the total cost of salaries and bonuses of the civilian staff; what is the total cost of the administration of the branch; and what was the average cost of issuing each medal for the past six months?
§ Commodore KINGThe total staff of the branch at the War Office which deals with the issue of medals and the approximate cost of their pay and allowances for the past three financial years were as follow:
The approximate total number of medals issued during the three calendar years 1924, 1925 and 1926 is 182,000, 154,200 and 84,000. The ranks of the officers at present employed in the branch are:
Numbers. Pay and Allowances. £ 1924 113 21,000 1925 67 15,000 1926 49 12,000 The pay and allowances of these officers amount to £2,050; the salaries and bonuses of the civilian staff to £5,700 a year. I am not in a position to give any separate figure for the cost of administration of the branch. It is administered as part of the War Office. Nor am I in a position to give the average cost of issuing each medal. The actual work of issuing medals is not separately costed, and is, in any case, only a part of the duties of the branch, which has also to deal, for example, with the examination of claims which are not allowed. The number of medals issued, therefore, is not a true measure of the work which has to be done.
- 1 Colonel (Assistant Adjutant-General).
- 1 Captain (Staff Captain).
§ Colonel WOODCOCKDoes not the hon. and gallant Member think that this is a most excessive staff to have for the issue of medals? It works out at only three or four medals—on an average—per-day per member of the staff. In view of the great need for economy at the War Office, will the hon. and gallant Member look into the matter and see how many other Departments of the War Office are similarly overstaffed?
§ Commodore KINGI do not think that it is quite fair to take the number of medals issued. My hon. and gallant Friend will realise that it is not like going into a shop to buy a pound of tea. You do not draw a medal out of a drawer. The War Office have to take every precaution to see that a medal is not issued to any man unless he be really deserving of it, and therefore many applications have to be turned down.
Sir F. HALLIs it not the fact that during six months only 28,000 medals were dealt with, and does my hon. and gallant Friend think that it is reasonable that a staff of 32 should be kept for that purpose?
§ Mr. SPEAKERWe cannot argue that question now.