§ Mr. MORRELLasked the Under-Secretary of State for War whether the payment of separation allowance to wives and dependants of soldiers of the Territorial Force is still made through the Territorial Force Association, although the pay of the soldiers themselves is given through the Army Pay Department; whether his attention has been called to the waste of public money that frequently occurs through want of proper co-ordination between the Department and the association, in the continuance of allowance to the dependants of soldiers who have been discharged and other similar mistakes; and whether, with a view to greater economy, the Government will consider the advisability of altering this system so as to secure the same unity of control as is already secured in the case of the Regular Forces?
§ Mr. FORSTERThe answer to the first part of the question is in the affirmative. As regards the second part, I am aware that at first there was occasional failure of co-ordination, but improvements have been made in the procedure, and I see no sufficient reason to make the change suggested, which is itself not free from serious difficulties.