28. Mr. Bernard Taylorasked the Home Secretary whether members of the National Fire Service, stationed away from home, are entitled to the billeting allowance when granted leave apart from their annual holiday?
§ Mr. H. MorrisonLodging allowance is not withheld if a fireman is absent for a week-end or for an equivalent mid-week break, but it has not hitherto been payable in respect of longer periods of absence. I have, however, recently reviewed the application of this rule to the cases of men and women on the 48/24 duty system who are not in a position to take weekend leave but may be given a break of four days every six weeks, and have decided that in the case of the lower ranks, whose allowance is at the minimum rate of 24s. 6d. a week, there will in future be no abatement of the allowance if the man's absence from the area where he is serving does not exceed three nights, and that three nights' allowance will be paid if the absence extends to four nights. The provision to be made for members of the National Fire Service in higher ranks, whose allowances are at higher rates, is still under consideration.