§ Mr. JOHN REDMONDasked the Secretary of State for War whether he is aware that a scheme for the improvement in the conditions of service of the surveyors on the staff of engineer services was submitted for acceptance of its proposals to each established surveyor and assistant 1816W surveyor in November, 1907, and accepted by all except one; that the scheme contained a statement, as an inducement to accept the scheme, to the effect that a proposal was being considered that removal expenses would be allowed similar to those to be granted to officials of the Army Accounts Branch; will he explain why an Army order has been recently issued according to which these officers are to receive practically the same allowances on change of station as they received before acceptance of the new scheme, with the result that each change of station will involve considerable removal expenses on these officers, as it has done hitherto, and against which they repeatedly protested before the scheme was submitted to them; and whether he is aware that this Army order has caused much discontent among these officers?
§ Mr. HALDANEThe facts are substantially as stated in the first part of the hon. Member's question. I must, however, explain that the mention in the scheme of the proposal regarding removal expenses was limited to the statement that a proposal was being considered. The scheme as set forth in the letter contained the decision of the Army Council on a number of points which had been the subject of representations to the Department for some time. Amongst these was that of removal expenses, and the intention of the circular was to intimate that this had not yet been decided. The whole question has been most carefully gone into, and the decision follows the rule governing the cases of officers holding corresponding ranks and appointments in the Army. I am afraid I cannot undertake to reconsider the decision.