HC Deb 11 July 1944 vol 401 cc1568-72
34. Miss Ward

asked the Prime Minister if he can make a statement regarding an increase in dependants' allowances and the elimination of anomalies for members of His Majesty's Forces.

35. Mr. Graham White

asked the Prime Minister if he is now in a position to state what action His Majesty's Government proposes for the removal of anomalies in pay and allowances of all ranks in the Services.

The Prime Minister

Since the reply is inevitably long and detailed, covering a number of points, I propose to circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT.

Miss Ward

Might I ask my right hon. Friend, in view of this decision, whether there will be an opportunity of asking supplementary questions or, if the report is not satisfactory, shall we have an opportunity of discussing it in the House? Otherwise circulation of the answer in the OFFICIAL REPORT will be a disadvantage.

The Prime Minister

If the report gives ground for other questions being put down, they can be answered on another day. When I see the lengthy answer, I think I would be wasting the time of the House, and it would be very unfair to other hon. Members who wish to ask Questions, if I were to read the reply.

Following is the statement:

As promised in the House, careful consideration has been given by the Departments concerned to the various questions raised in the course of the informal discussions which took place following the debate of the 2nd March. It has been decided to make certain further changes in addition to the major alterations in pay, family allowances and war pensions which were announced in the recent White Paper (Command 6521).

Following a review of the present scheme of dependants' allowances, the conditions which govern eligibility for an allowance, and the amount of any allowance granted, have been modified. Hitherto no allowance has been payable if the household income, after payment of rent and rates, and after allowing for various "disregards," amounted to an average of 17s. or more a week for each member of the household (children under the age of 14 counting as half units). This rule has now been abolished. Moreover, no allowance has hitherto been payable which would raise the net average income for each member of the household, including the allowance, above 21s. a week. This limit has now been raised to 23s. a week. In addition, payment of the maximum rate of allowance of 25s. a week will no longer be confined to cases where the dependant's household has no other income. The effect of these changes is to increase both the field of dependants eligible for an allowance, and the number of eligible dependants who will qualify for the higher rates of allowance, including the maximum rate of 25s. a week.

In addition to the improvements in War Service Grants already announced, a relaxation has now been made in the rule (set out in Command 6318 of 1941) under which, in addition to the qualifying allotment, a soldier was expected to contribute to the support of his family four-sevenths of the amount by which his pay exceeded 4s. a day. This limit was later raised to 45. 6d. a day, and now it has been decided to raise it to 5s. 6d. a day. The broad effect of this change will be that no soldier below the rank of corporal will in future be expected, for the purposes of war service grants, to supplement his qualifying allotment from his pay unless he is on special or trade rates. The closer approximation of the schemes of qualifying allotment to a common pattern has enabled this 5s. 6d. point to be taken for war service grants purposes in the case of all three Services alike.

The rates of ration allowance for women members of the Forces, when not provided with Service rations, have hitherto been at four-fifths of the corresponding men's rates, in view of the lower scale of provision in kind which experience shows to be suitable in the case of women. It has now, however, been decided that where women members of the Forces are under the necessity of buying their own meals, for instance in catering establishments, this distinction should no longer be drawn and the women's rates of ration allowance have accordingly been brought up to the rates payable to men in corresponding circumstances. It has moreover been decided, as a war measure to meet present conditions in this country, that where A.T.S. and W.A.A.F. officers are on the lodging list or billeted and unable to be dining members of a mess, a special supplementary board and lodging allowance of 2s. a day shall be granted. This increase in the allowances available for their board and lodging takes account of the considerations that while their expenses on board and lodging are much the same as those of men officers, the pay of women officers is lower than that of men officers, that their normal contribution from their pay to their expenses when in mess is generally less, and that they are not eligible for servant allowance. The naval system of lodging and provision allowance is different, but a suitable adjustment will be made there also.

The present rates of outfit allowance granted to officers on first appointment to a commission are £55 and £45 according to whether they are required to possess two suits of service dress or only one suit of service dress with one suit of battle dress. It has been decided to ease the position of newly commissioned officers by making an all-round increase of in these rates. This increase of £5 will apply also to A.T.S. and W.A.A.F. officers on first appointment. Further consideration is being given to the position of W.R.N.S. officers in view of the special circumstances of that Service.

Sympathetic consideration has been given to the representations which have been made regarding some aspects of the present rules for the compensation of officers in respect of the loss of kit from Service causes. It is hoped to introduce certain improvements on the present provision in the near future.

It has been represented that hardship is sometimes occasioned to personnel who are granted compassionate leave for urgent private reasons and who have hitherto had to pay their own fares through having exhausted their annual entitlement of four free leave travel warrants. It has now been decided that where compassionate leave is granted and the annual entitlement to free warrants has been exhausted an additional free warrant may be granted in suitable cases. This concession applies to junior officers as well as to other ranks.

The rules under which officers relinquish acting and temporary rank have been reviewed. The general principle governing the grant of acting or temporary rank in the Army in time of war is that an officer should receive the pay of the rank in which he is employed. It follows that unless two (or more) officers are to be paid for the same job acting or temporary rank must be relinquished when the officer ceases to perform the duties of the rank in question. Approval has nevertheless already been given for the retention by an Army officer of temporary rank, notwithstanding that he has been replaced in an appointment, on being posted overseas until he joins his new unit; or for a period of three months while absent from duty on account of wounds; or for a period of two months during other sickness; or on courses of instruction. In addition, acting rank may be retained during absence from duty on account of sickness up to 28 days, or on account of wounds, for a period of three months. Army officers will in future be allowed to retain paid acting or temporary rank for a maximum period of four months when absent from duty on account of either wounds or sickness. The rules in the Navy and R.A.F., which are not exactly the same as the Army rules, will be amended so as to ensure that officers of all three services participate equally in this concession.

These changes complete the special review of service conditions which has just been undertaken, though, as indicated by the Secretary of State for War in the Debate of the 2nd March, conditions of service in general are kept under close study by the responsible Departments, and by the Ministers in charge of those Departments, with a view to making such adjustments as may appear necessary or desirable from time to time.