§ 30. Mr. Ivor Thomasasked the First Lord of the Admiralty what is the scale of entertainment allowance for senior officers in the Royal Navy and the extent to which such allowances exceed the cost of the entertainment which the recipients are normally called upon to provide.
§ The First Lord of the Admiralty (Mr. A. V. Alexander)I assume that the hon. Member has in mind the allowance known as table money, which is payable only to those flag officers who fly their personal flags symbolising command over a station or squadron or other operational command. The maximum rate, payable to a Commander-in-Chief, is £4 10s. a day; lower rates for other flag officers are fixed according to the circumstances of the individual appointment. Flag officers commanding are inevitably called upon to do a considerable amount of entertaining, and I have no reason to suppose that the present scale is in any way out of proportion.