16 and 17. Vice-Admiral Taylorasked the First Lord of the Admiralty (1) how many of the 995 lieutenant-commanders on the active list in the five groups, as recognised in the marriage allowance scheme by different basic pay, are exceptionally in receipt of both lodging and marriage allowances; and of these how many are in short-course appointments of three months' duration or less;
(2) how many of the 995 lieutenant-commanders on the active list are now in receipt of lodging and compensation or its substitute under the marriage allowance scheme, and how many of these, married and single, separately stated, belong to each of the five groups as recognised in the scheme by different basic pay?
§ The First Lord of the Admiralty (Mr. Duff Cooper)I regret that the information required cannot be collected without the expenditure of a prohibitive amount of time and labour. If my hon. and gallant Friend will let me know what is the point he wishes to establish, I will 1302 do my best to have it investigated and send him a reply.
Vice-Admiral TaylorThe point I wish to establish is how many of these officers benefit under these marriage allowances?
§ Mr. CooperAs I have explained, the labour which would be involved in making inquiries of every station and ship would be really incommensurate with the importance of the point.
Vice-Admiral TaylorThere are certain officers getting lodging and compensation and marriage allowance, and it ought not to be difficult to find out the number.