§ Captain BOWYERasked the Secretary of State for India whether many retired officers of the Indian Army re-employed during the War applied to the India Office to be allowed to count their re-employed service towards increase of pensions under the time scale of the Indian Army Regulations; whether he will cause steps to be taken to allow such officers as are desirous of doing so to refund the pensions they received during the War, either by commuting under the commutation table a portion of their pension at the new rates or by other means most convenient, and to have their re-employment War service counted towards increase of pension by re-assessment of their combined pre-retirement and re-employment service; and, if not, will he state the reason?
§ Mr. MONTAGUOfficers who have been recalled for further duty in India have been allowed to reckon such period of re-employment for additional pension, the pension to which they had previously been admitted being suspended; in all other cases, including all those of retired Indian Army officers who have been employed under the War Office during the War, the rule laid down in Article 496 of the Pay Warrant has been followed, the officers being granted the pay of their appointments in addition to their pensions, but their re-employed service does1064W not reckon for higher pension. This rule has also been acted on in the British Service and I see no sufficient reason for setting it aside.