§ 31. Mr. Daggarasked the Secretary of State for War whether is aware that a serving soldier whose widowed mother 1348 receives the customary payment of 18s. per week and to whom the son agrees to devote one half of his recent extra 6d. per day has had 1s. 9d. deducted from his pay; and whether he will state the position of the soldier whose pay is increased because of proficiency or of any other cause.
§ The Financial Secretary to the War Office (Mr. Richard Law)When a soldier has voluntarily allotted threepence a day to his mother, a sum of 1s. 9d. a week is deducted from his pay on that account, and his mother receives it in addition to any allowance otherwise payable to her. I will circulate in the OFFICIAL REPORT a table showing how the amounts which a soldier is required to contribute towards dependants' allowance vary according to his rate of pay.
§ Mr. DaggarDoes not the hon. Gentleman think it most unfair that half of this 6d. a day is deducted from the payment made to the widowed mother by the serving soldier?
§ Mr. LawNo, Sir. I do not think it is unfair. No deduction is made from the allowance to his mother, or from his pay unless the serving soldier asks that it should be deducted.
§ Following is the table:
| When the daily rate of a soldier's pay is | Daily rate of contributory allotment. | |
| s. | d. | |
| 2s. 6d. but less than 3s. od. | 1 | 0 |
| 3s. od. but less than 3s. 6d. | 1 | 3 |
| 3s. 6d. but less than 5s. 6d. | 1 | 6 |
| 5s. 6d. but not exceeding 7s. 6d. | 1 | 9 |
| Exceeding 7s. 6d. but not exceeding 8s. 6d. | 2 | 0 |
| Exceeding 8s. 6d. but not exceeding 10s. 6d. | 2 | 6 |
| Exceeding 10s. 6d. but not exceeding 11s. 6d. | 3 | 0 |
| Exceeding 11s. 6d. | 4 | 0 |