§ 2. Major Conantasked the Secretary of State for War whether, in the case of officers who are down-graded after having served in a higher rank over a long period, he will arrange, when military employment in their old rank cannot be provided, to supplement their pay by the amount needed to avoid financial loss.
The Secretary of State for War (Sir James Griģģ)When an officer has served for a sufficient time in any rank he cannot drop more than one step in rank and this to a large extent safeguards him against an excessive drop in pay. It would not be justifiable to give an officer the pay of a higher rank when he is employed in a lower rank.
§ Major ConantWhile thanking my right hon. Friend for his reply, may I ask whether he appreciates the very real hardship that results to an officer who has held his rank for a long period of time and then, on account of an alteration of war establishment, goes to a lower rank and suffers financial loss?
Sir J. GriģģIt is not so much because of alteration of war establishment as of transfers between different arms of the Service. I think I know the case which my hon. and gallant Friend has in mind.
Miss RathboneIn view of the great discomfort caused to officers by misunderstanding among their friends, who think that they have done something inefficient or disgraceful when they lose rank, could not some form of honorary title be devised which would clearly indicate that they had not been down-graded for any reason within their own control?