§ Mr. BUTCHERasked the Secretary to the Admiralty whether the Committee which he promised to appoint for the purpose of examining into the question of naval separation allowances has yet reported; and, if so, whether its recommendations have been adopted by the Admiralty and are being acted on?
§ Dr. MACNAMARAThe Committee has been appointed by the War Cabinet. It is the original Soldiers' and Sailors' Pay Committee reassembled for this purpose under the chairmanship of my right hon. and learned Friend the Member for Dublin University. Two meetings have already been held, but owing to the difficulties which are inherent in the subject, the Committee has not as yet been able to present a Report.
§ Mr. SNOWDENasked the Financial Secretary to the War Office whether in view of the shortage of food in the early part of the week, some arrangement can be made by which the separation allowances can be paid on the Friday or Saturday, as the present system of payment makes it impossible in many cases to got meat and other rationed articles?
§ Mr. ILLINGWORTHMy right hon. Friend has asked me to answer this question. In addition to separation allowances the Post Office pays Army and Navy pensions, old age pensions, and other allowances. It is imperative that this work should be distributed as evenly as possible over the days of the week, and I could not undertake to arrange for the payment of separation allowances on Friday, on which day old age pensions are payable, or on Saturday, which is always a particularly busy day in post offices.