HC Deb 23 July 1946 vol 425 cc340-2W
97. Mr. Thornton-Kemsley

asked the Secretary of State for War if he is yet in a position to announce the postwar rate of pay for Army chaplains.

Mr. Lawson

Yes, Sir. There are considerable differences in the organisation and conditions of service of chaplains in the Royal Navy and Royal Air Force on the one hand, and the Army on the other. The proposed rates of pay have regard to these differences, but they are based on the principle in paragraph 2 of Cmd. 6750 of giving a broad equality of treatment between officers of the three Services.

In the Royal Navy and Royal Air Force, there will be, as at present, a continuous scale of pay (except for the higher posts mentioned below). Rates will be 22s. 6d. a clay on entry, proceeding by biennial increments of 2s. 6d. to a maximum of 55s. a day after 26 years' service. For assessment of allowances, Royal Naval and Royal Air Force chaplains with under 14 years' service will be treated in the same way as junior officers. After 14 years' service they will be treated as Commanders, Royal Navy, or Wing-Commanders, Royal Air Force, and after 22 years' service, as Captains, Royal Navy, or Group-Captains, Royal Air Force.

In the Army, there will continue to be a fixed complement of posts for each class, and promotion from class to class will be by selection. Chaplains of the 4th and 3rd classes will, however, receive pay on the same scale, namely 22S. 6d. a day on entry, rising by biennial increments of 2s. 6d. to a maximum of 42s. 6d. For higher classes the scales will be: 2nd class, 45s. by biennial increments of 2s. 6d. to 50s.; 1st class, 52s. 6d. by biennial increments to 57s. 6d. Allowances will be drawn according to the relative rank appropriate to each class, which will remain as at present.

The following will be the rates of pay for the higher posts: Deputy Chaplain General to the Forces, and corresponding posts in Royal Navy and Royal Air Force—60s. per day. Chaplain of the Fleet, Chaplain General to the Forces, Chaplain in Chief, Royal Air Force—70s. per day.

Service retired pay.

The following scale of service retired pay will apply to permament regular chaplains who were serving on the active list on 19th December, 1945, or who are commissioned after that date:

Years' Service. Retired pay Rate. A year. £
22 … … … 475
23 … … … 505
24 … … … 535
25 … … … 565
26 … … … 595
27 … … … 625
28 … … … 665
29 … … … 705
30 … … … 745
These rates will be subject, in the case of the Army to maxima of £475 for 3rd Class Chaplains and £25 for 2nd Class Chaplains.

For the Chaplain of the Fleet, Chaplain-General, and Chaplain-in-Chief, Royal Air Force, there will be a special retired pay rate, provided the appointment has been held for at least two years. The rate will be £1,000 a yea' if 28 or more years' service has been given. If the service falls short of 28 years, there will be deductions for short service as in the general retired pay code.

Permanent regular chaplains who are now serving will, like other officers, remain eligible, if to their advantage, for awards under the regulations and at the rates now superseded, instead of the new terms. Certain chaplains of the Royal Navy have special reserved rights under the old code. The precise arrangements for continuing these rights will be announced separately.

Chaplains who retired on retired pay before 19th December, 1945, and who served during the war, will be allowed reassessment of their retired pay in respect of their war service, under the terms of the scheme which I announced in the House on 15th April.

Service Gratuities

Regular chaplains retiring without entitlement to retired pay will be eligible for service gratuities on the same scale and conditions as regular officers, details of which are given in Appendix III of the White Paper Cmd. 6750, paragraph 11.