§ 41. Lieut.-Colonel Sir Thomas Moore (for Lord Burghley)asked the Secretary of State for War whether, when deciding on the new assessment for the replacement sums to be paid to officers who lost their kit at Dunkirk, he will consider the practice of the Admiralty; and will he also take into account the greatly increased cost of this kit and the fact that depreciation of its value is unfair as the majority of officers could reasonably expect never to have to replace it?
§ Mr. LawWhile it is not proposed to adopt the Admiralty rules. I am glad to be able to tell my Noble Friend that instructions are being issued which will have 25 the effect of introducing considerable relaxation in the basis of the assessment of compensation, to the benefit of the officers concerned. The new basis will be applied with retrospective effect to cover the replacement of kit lost in Norway and France, and will take into account the present increased cost of kit.
§ Mr. BellengerMay I ask whether the increase will be given to those officers who have already had a settlement—there was a large number of them in the case of Dunkirk—without their making further application for it?
§ Mr. LawThe details of the scheme have not yet been worked out, and I am not in a position to say whether the review will be automatic or whether applications will have to be made, but in any case the officers will be entitled to get the increase.