§ Captain BOWYERasked the Secretary of State for India, whether Army Council Instructions Nos. 644 and 1,213, of 1918, granted promotion with retrospective effect up to lieutenant-colonel to re-employed officers of the Indian Army on their combined original pre-retirement and re-employed service under the Indian Army time scale of promotion; why these orders were made to exclude the promo- 1450W tion from carrying with it the corresponding increase of pension on the time scales of the Indian Army; whether a statement was made last November to a deputation at the India Office that the war service of re-employed retired officers of the Indian Army should be combined with their pre-retirement service in the reassessing of their pensions if this procedure was adopted by the War Office towards the British Army; and how the matter now stands?
§ Mr. MONTAGURetired Indian Army Officers who were re-employed under the War Office have been granted promotion up to the rank of lieutenant-colonel under the Army Council Instructions referred to in the question. In accordance with Article 496 of the Pay Warrant, their re-employed service did not count for additional pension, but during such reemployed service they continued to draw their pensions as well as the full pay of their War Office appointments. I informed the deputation which I received on 4th November, that if the War Office altered the Warrant as regards retired officers of the British Army, I would at once consider the question of following the War Office. No change has yet been made by the War Office, and, as I said to the deputation, I am not prepared to ask the Indian taxpayer to do what the British Government does not ask the British taxpayer to do.