THE Duke of NORTHUMBERLANDMy Lords, I beg to ask whether any steps have been taken to give effect to the Resolution which was moved by me on 17th May and accepted by the Govern- 573 merit, "That secretaries of County Territorial Associations, who served as such during the war and were, prior to the war, in receipt of retired pay or pension, thereby performed paid military service within the meaning of the Royal Warrant for Pay and Promotion, as amended by Army Order 324 of 1919."
The UNDER-SECRETARY of STATE for AIR (LORD GORELL)My Lords, I must thank the noble Duke for his courtesy in postponing this Question until I was able to return from Paris in order to reply to him. I do not think he will wish me to traverse again the reasons for and against the Motion which we debated fully on May 17. In view of the expression of opinion manifested in your 'Lordships' House on that occasion, the Secretary of State for War felt bound to lay the whole matters before the Cabinet. I had hoped that, with the postponement of a week to which the noble Duke agreed, it might be possible to give him a final answer on the Question, but, as the noble Duke will understand, there have been many matters of very great importance before the Cabinet, and I am sorry to say that this matter has not yet been decided upon. It may be, therefore, that a decision in 574 the sense desired by the noble Duke may [yet be come to. At the same time, I think it would be misleading if I were to suggest that that is likely. The whole f the facts of the case will be fully considered by the Cabinet, but, at the same time, the arguments which I ventured to lay before the House on behalf of the War Office— arguments which, I must admit, did not bring conviction to many of your Lord- ships—are still, in the opinion of the. War Office, such as to make it undesirable that this reassessment of pensions should be granted. As I have said, however, no absolutely final decision has yet been reached.
THE Duke of NORTHUMBERLANDMy Lords, I am very much obliged to the noble Lord for the very full explanation which he has given. I am sorry he cannot hold out better hopes, and I would suggest, in view of the very strong expression of opinion which has been given by this House, that the House will probably feel inclined to take some further action, if the Government cannot see their way to meet that view.
§ House adjourned at half-past seven o'clock.