§ Major Kimballasked the Secretary of State for War whether he is aware that privates in the R.C.S., R.E. and R.A.M.C. serving with airborne forces are now suffering a deduction of is. per day in respect of Income Tax on their pay received during 1943–44; that as a result of such deduction they now only receive is. per day parachute pay instead of 1s. per day promised when they volunteered; and will he take immediate action to stop this deduction.
§ Mr. A. HendersonA man is liable to pay Income Tax on his total taxable emoluments and, as my right hon. Friend said in reply to my hon. Friend the Member for East Middlesbrough (Mr. A. Edwards) on 12th October, the 2s. a day additional pay received by airborne troops is such a taxable emolument. Private soldiers in the units mentioned, if entitled to tradesmen's rates of pay, and to the 2s. a day additional pay where they are attached to the Army Air Corps, could in1062W certain cases be in receipt of 8s. 3d. a day. On this total of taxable emoluments a provisional tax deduction of about is. a day would be correct for a single man without dependants. In other circumstances the tax deduction would, of course, be different. My hon. and gallant Friend will appreciate that I am not in a position to alter this.