§ 15. Mr. Ian Harveyasked the Secretary of State for War the circumstances under which the British Army of the Rhine is graded as being on home service.
§ Mr. HeadService in Germany does not count as overseas service because the distribution of our Forces at home, in Europe and elsewhere overseas does not permit it. In other respects men serving in Germany are deprived of no benefits by the fact that service there does not count towards an overseas tour, and, in fact, they get some additional benefits such as free leave travel to this country.
§ Mr. HarveyIs my right hon. Friend aware that the fact that members of the Royal Air Force serving in Germany are regarded as on overseas service creates an anomaly which must be very difficult for members of the British Army of the Rhine to understand?
§ Mr. HeadYes, Sir, I am aware of that, and I am obliged to my hon. Friend for his supplementary question. The fact is that the world-wide deployment of the Royal Air Force allows it to count Germany as overseas, but such is our deployment that if we were to count Germany as overseas it may be that we would have hardly any troops at present on home service.
Mr. FernyboughSince Western Germany has regained her independence, can the right hon. Gentleman say whether any compensation is being granted to 932 British troops serving in that territory, having regard to the fact that they had concessions when they were occupation troops which at that time it was thought they might lose?