§ 21. Mr. Priceasked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether he will reconsider the practice of his Department in paying the allowance for wife and children direct to a serving man instead of, as in the case of other Services, paying it to the wife through the Post Office.
Mr. AlexanderExcept in a limited number of cases where men are accommodated with their families in official 749 quarters at their station, marriage allowance in respect of naval ratings and other ranks R.M. is not paid to the man but to the wife, or in the case of motherless children to the guardian, through the Post Office, as is the practice in the other Services. The question of revision of the practice does not, therefore, arise.
§ Mr. PriceIs not the right hon. Gentleman aware that there are cases where that does not apply, and that the money is paid only to the man, as the case which I have sent him proves; and will he look into this case and see whether serious hardship does not arise sometimes?
Mr. AlexanderI will certainly have a look especially at the case my hon. Friend raises, but I know of no general exception, except this, where men have quarters and their wives are with them.