§ Mr. CLOUGHasked the Financial Secretary to the War Office whether the cost to the State of married men and their dependants is on the average higher than that of unmarried men and their dependants; and whether he will give an approximate estimate of 1,000 men and their dependants in each class?
§ Mr. FORSTERThe pay of the soldier is not affected by marriage, but an approximate estimate of the average cost of separation allowances is, for the dependants of 1,000 married men, £870 a week, and for the dependants of 1,000 unmarried men, £287 a week.
§ Mr. CLOUGHasked the Prime Minister whether he will consider the advisability of granting weekly allowances to the bonâ fide dependants of unmarried men who have joined His Majesty's Forces on the same scale as those paid to the dependants of married men, that is to say, to grant 12s. 6d. per week for the mother, 5s. for the father, 3s. 6d. for one brother or sister, 818W and 2s. per week for each additional brother or sister?
§ Mr. FORSTERThe principle of basing the allowances of dependants, other than wives of children, on the degree of their dependence before the War (or the soldier's enlistment, if later) was fully considered by the Select Committee, and I am afraid I can hold out no hope of departing from it.