§ 52. Brigadier Lowasked the Minister of Defence whether he has co-ordinated the local overseas allowances made to officers and other ranks in each of the Fighting Services; and what local overseas allowance is paid to each of the Services in each of the overseas stations.
§ Mr. AlexanderThe assessment of these allowances is fully co-ordinated. In most cases, rates common to the three Services have already been fixed, and are being paid. The new scales for a few areas are still under consideration; but they will, shortly, be agreed. In view of the very large number of separate rates, I hope the hon. and gallant Member will not press for their publication in the OFFICIAL REPORT.
§ Brigadier LowWill the right hon. Gentleman tell the House where it is possible to find the details for which I 405 have asked, and, further, will he say whether any members of the Committee who advised him on the co-ordination of these allowances have, since the war, been to any of these overseas stations to which the allowances apply?
§ Mr. AlexanderI should have to have notice of the last part of the hon. and gallant Gentleman's supplementary question before I could say more than that the matter has been dealt with by a committee on which each of the Service Departments is represented and which is presided over by a member of the Treasury staff. With regard to the first part, there are so many different documents relating to rates for different areas and commands that I am not sure where he could find them altogether. I doubt whether he could find them in any one place.