§ 34. Mr. Quintin Hoggasked the Secretary of State for War whether his attention has been drawn to the case of are-enlisted soldier, whose name and address have been supplied to him, and whose mother has been cut off dependant's allowance owing to her son's re-enlistment; and what is the explanation of this.
§ Mr. BellengerDependant's allowance was a wartime emolument and, as explained in the White Paper Cmd. 6715, will not be issued to soldiers serving on Regular peacetime engagements. Exceptions are, provisionally, being allowed where a man has served and retained 22 entitlement to this allowance continuously since the end of 1945 or where, having left the Army and having received the allowance till then, he re-enlisted on a Regular engagement before 1st July, 1946. In the present case the soldier left the Army at the end of his War Service and re-enlisted some months later and after 1st July, 1946. He does not therefore come under the exceptions mentioned, and is being treated under the normal rule.
§ Mr. HoggDoes not the right hon. Gentleman remember that the facts of this case were that the local branch of S.S.A.F.A. itself ascertained that the soldier was told and led to believe that his mother would continue to get dependant's allowance if he re-enlisted, and as exceptions are being made, would not the right hon. Gentleman regard this as an honourable obligation?
§ Mr. BellengerI am not aware of that fact, but perhaps the hon. Gentleman will give me some more details about that, and I will look into it further.
§ Mr. HoggBut does not the right hon. Gentleman appreciate that it was contained in the original letter which I sent him?