§ Lieut.-Colonel Sharpasked the Secretary of State for War whether soldiers of the Regular Army whose current engagement has been completed and who have re-enlisted for further service and soldiers who have agreed to serve beyond the date when normally they would have been demobilised, are entitled to payment of their postwar credits and war gratuities.
§ Mr. LawsonThe amounts payable in these cases cannot yet be assessed, as service continues to reckon for war gratuity and postwar credit. As soon as these benefits cease to be earned by further service the question of payments to regular soldiers and others remaining in the Service will be considered.
§ Mr. Shurmerasked the Secretary of State for War, in view of the number of Servicemen prevented from reaching the minimum period of six months' war service to qualify for a gratuity as a result of being either killed or wounded, he will consider reducing the qualifying period to one month.
§ Mr. LawsonAs regards deceased soldiers I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave on 6th November to a Question by the hon. and gallant Member for Totnes (Brigadier Rayner). Only very rarely would a wounded soldier be discharged from the Army before completing six months' total service but I1270W am looking further into this particular point and will write to my hon. Friend.