§ 41. Mr. Pethick-Lawrenceasked the Secretary of State for War whether he will refer to the Military Service (Special Allowances) Advisory Committee the question of the desirability of the issue of a supplemental rent allowance to men in the Army, in all cases where the rent exceeds one-fifth of the family allowance?
§ Mr. Hore-BelishaIt is the practice of the committee, in considering whether financial hardship due to service exists in any case, to address themselves to the position in which the household is left after all the irreducible commitments, including rent, have been met. This seems to me to be preferable to any rigid formula of the character suggested.
§ Mr. T. WilliamsIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that there are cases in the country where there are nine children in the family and the rent is 20s., leaving 19s. over; and does he not think that there ought to be direct rent allowances in all cases where rent forms more than one-fifth of the family's income?
§ Mr. Hore-BelishaI do not think that the case of an individual soldier having nine children is common, but I think that the formula that I have described is generally more to the advantage of the recipient than the formula suggested in the question.
§ Mr. WilliamsDoes the right hon. Gentleman think it fair that every case where there are more than three children ought to go to a hardship committee?
§ Mr. Hore-BelishaI was asked whether I could substitute a particular formula 1192 for another one, and I said that I think the method which I indicated was more advantageous. There is a Special Allowances Committee, from which more advantage would accrue to the recipients than from the method suggested in the question.
§ Mr. BuchananIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that no alteration of a formula will be satisfactory, and will he, in view of the Debate, which showed that the allowances were far too meagre, reconsider the whole matter?
§ Mr. Pethick-LawrenceWill the right hon. Gentleman address himself to this: there is no question of substituting one method for another; the question applies to cases where the rent exceeds one-fifth of the family's income and asks whether additional allowances can be given?
§ Mr. Hore-BelishaI have said that it is the practice of the committee, when considering whether financial hardship due to service exists, to address themselves to the position in which the household is left after the rent and other irreducible commitments have been paid. I have said that that is more advantageous than the proposal in the question.