§ 43. Sir T. Mooreasked the Secretary of State for War whether he will consider an alteration to the Royal Warrant to enable married officers under 25 years of age to draw the full marriage allowance.
§ Mr. ShinwellI would refer the hon. and gallant Member to the reply given to the hon. and gallant Member for East Norfolk (Brigadier Medlicott) last Tuesday.
§ Sir T. MooreNot having that reply with me, may I ask the right hon. Gentleman to say how he can justify a young doctor conscripted after marriage being denied the full marriage allowance and yet be charged with the life and death of the people with whom he is associated?
§ Mr. ShinwellWe do not want to encourage officers under 25 to marry, [HON. MEMBERS: "Why not?"] We do not want to encourage them to marry by offering this financial inducement—[HON. MEMBERS: "Why not?"] Because that is the decision.
§ Mr. MikardoWill my right hon. Friend take steps to put an end to the practice whereby he has the right to decide whether or not certain of his younger employees will get married?
§ Mr. ShinwellI do not arrogate any such right to myself, nor do the Army Council. We have no right to prevent any soldier marrying, if he so desires, but we offer no financial inducement to officers under 25 to marry. Therefore, we make a distinction in regard to marriage allowances to officers over 25 and officers under 25.
§ Mr. Oliver StanleyCan the right hon. Gentleman say why the age of 25 is selected, and by whom it has been selected?
§ Mr. ShinwellI have the impression that it was selected by the right hon. Gentleman with whom the right hon. Gentleman was associated.
§ Wing-Commander MillingtonWill my right hon. Friend bear in mind that in many cases the influence of a wife is very important and valuable and has a bearing upon the proper execution of the duties and responsibilities of a young officer? Will he not encourage rather than deter marriage?
§ Mr. ShinwellI take note of what hon. Members have said, but this is a matter of alteration to the Royal Warrant, which is not easy.
§ Sir T. MooreThe right hon. Gentleman has either misinterpreted or not listened to my supplementary question. I referred to the case of young doctors conscripted after marriage and not before marriage—you cannot prevent them producing children after they have been married.
§ Mr. ShinwellI will not compete with the hon. and gallant Member as an authority on that subject, but, in fact, there is nothing in the Question about a doctor.