§ Sir R. Gowerasked the First Lord of the Admiralty what is the present amount of Colonial allowance paid to British employés in His Majesty's Dockyard at Singapore; when this allowance was first granted; what increases have been made in it since then; and what have been the changes in the cost of living at Singapore over the same period?
Mr. CooperI presume that the question refers to industrial employés sent from home dockyards to Singapore under agreement. Such employés receive a Colonial allowance (or Foreign Service allowance) of $40 per week for married men and $35 for single men. The allowance dates from 1st April, 1924, at which date it stood at $45 for married men and $40 for unmarried men. Reduction from this rate was made from the week commencing 23rd June, 1935, in view of the fall in the cost of living.
According to a publication compiled by the Department of Statistics, Straits Settlements and Federated Malay States, the annual cost of living index figures (European standard) for Singapore at the material dates was:—
1924 154.6 1935 124.7 1937 (latest figure) 127.1