§ 45. Mr. A. R. W. Lowasked the Minister of Defence whether he will issue a White Paper or make a statement bringing up to date those parts of the Command Paper on Pay for Officers and other Ranks of the three Services, Command papers 6715 and 6750, which refer to the relation of civilian salaries or wages to service pay.
§ The Minister of Defence (Mr. A. V. Alexander)Comparisons between Service and 'civilian emoluments must be on a very broad basis. It is not considered that such changes in the situation as have subsequently occurred call for a reconsideration at the present time of the comparison made in Command Paper 6715.
§ Mr. LowIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that unofficial comparisons are being made between the amounts of Service and civilian pay and that these are doing harm in the public mind, and that they must do harm to recruiting if they are allowed to go on without an official statement being made?
§ Mr. AlexanderThe position has always been kept generally under review but the White Paper on the new Pay Code which was laid down in December, 1945, is a long-term policy as far as possible; and in the light of the present situation and the fact that some of the emoluments of the Services are received in kind and therefore are some set off to the increase in the cost of living, we are not at present prepared to make a general reconsideration of the comparison.
§ Mr. Emrys RobertsWould the right hon. Gentleman agree that while one is sympathetic to the claims of Service officers, at the present time it will put too great a strain on the forbearance of many millions of people with wage claims if the claims for Service officers are granted?
§ Mr. LowIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that my Question refers to both other ranks and officers, and makes no distinction?