Miss Wardasked the Secretary of State for War if he has now considered the case of junior officers up to the rank of captain who receive less in childless wife allowance than men in the ranks; and when he proposes to remedy this anomaly.
§ Sir J. GriggIn no case does an officer in receipt of allowances under the new code introduced in 1942 receive less than the allowance authorised for other ranks. An officer under 30 years of age, commissioned before 1st January, 1942, who has no children and who has chosen to continue to receive allowances under the old code so as to obtain the benefits of the higher rates under that code on reaching 30 years of age, receives less than a man in the ranks. He has, however, been given the opportunity to transfer to the new code, to which I have referred, if he so desires, whenever there has been a revision in the allowances. It is not proposed to alter the rates of allowance for officers who chose to remain on the old code.