§ 77. Mr. Thorneasked the Secretary of State for War whether his attention has been drawn to the comments, made on 1024 Tuesday last, by the judge of the Kingston County Court in the case of an officer of the Royal Army Ordnance Corps, at Didcot, who has been there since June and has not received any pay; and what action he intends to take to remedy this matter?
§ The Financial Secretary to the War Office (Sir Victor Warrender)I have made inquiry into the case to which the hon. Member refers. Pay is normally issuable monthly in arrear, and authority for issue is given at the time of appointment. I find that, in certain cases recently, owing to urgency, gentlemen who were willing have been allowed to do duty with the Royal Army Ordnance Corps in advance of formal appointment, and before the terms and conditions of employment have been finally settled. In the particular case, certain inquiries had to be made and the formal authority was not given until 19th July. I have given instructions which, I hope, will secure that in any future case of this kind, pay will be issued at a provisional rate on the due date, if the final rate has not been determined.