§ Mr. TOUCHEasked the Prime Minister if he is aware that there are many public servants, employed by the large municipal authorities where the staffs have been obtained by open competition, who are well educated, trained in the principles of administration, used to initiating and executing plans, and accustomed to supervising duty, and who consider they would be able to give more effective service to their Country by taking up commissions as officers than by enlisting as privates, that many of them are prevented from so doing because the large municipal authorities follow the lead of His Majesty's Government in deducting from the civil pay of their servants the whole of the military pay received whilst on service as commissioned officers, that their expenses as officers practically absorb their Army pay, so that they are unable to supplement the few shillings a week paid by the municipalities to their wives; and will he consider the desirability of so revising the present arrangement that the Country may not be deprived through financial disabilities of the services of these men?
§ The PRIME MINISTERThe regulations governing the pay of Civil servants1334W joining the Colours have been drawn up after very full consideration, and I do not see my way to alter them.