HC Deb 25 January 1940 vol 356 cc809-10W
Sir J. Smedley Crooke

asked the Secretary of State for Air whether he is aware of the fact that the allowances to officers of the Royal Air Force have, as from November, been reduced by 3s. 6d. per day; that this reduction was accompanied with the suggestion that this amount should be spent towards their own upkeep from their pay, and as this, taken in conjunction with the increased Income Tax borne on officers' pay, reduces the actual moneys received to a very considerable extent and entails considerable hardship, particularly for married officers who have to rely on their allowance to support their families, he will consider restoring the allowances?

Sir K. Wood

Under an Order promulgated on 31st October, 1939, married officers appointed to acting or temporary rank on or after the outbreak of war ire required to serve for periods varying from three months to 12 months, according to rank, before becoming entitled to the rates of married allowances appropriate to the higher rank. The application of this rule entailed an adjustment, from the date of the Order, of the rate of allowance payable to officers appointed to acting or temporary rank since the outbreak of war, but no recovery was made of excess allowances paid before the issue of the Order.