§ Mr. HAYDAYasked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether the refusal of the Government to pay a war gratuity to Post Office servants has been based on the belief that these men occupy a favourable position because they are in receipt of full civil pay; whether he is aware that a man in receipt of full civil pay is frequently receiving less money than a man to whom this privilege is denied; whether he is aware that a man whose pre-war Post Office wage was 54s. would receive money payments as follows: civil pay 54s.; war bonus nil, Royal Engineer Army pay, 15s. 2d.; retention bonus, 10s. 6d.; separation allowance, 12s. 6d.; deductions, nil; total, 92s. 2d., whereas a man with the same pre-war wage who was not entitled to full civil pay would be in receipt of the following payments: civil pay, 54s.; war bonus, 34s. 10d.; Army pay, 14s.; retention bonus, 10s. 6d.; separation allowance, 12s. 6d.; total, 125s. 10d., less deductions by the Post Office of 7s. in lieu of Army pay, and 12s. 6d. separation allowance, making a total of 106s. 4d.; whether an adverse financial balance of 14s. 2d. is a justification for denying to the Post Office signaller the war gratuity which is paid to all other soldiers; and whether he will have the figures examined and reviewed with a view to the adjustment of this injustice?
§ Mr. FORSTERThe war bonus of 34s. 10d. used in this calculation has only very recently taken effect, and the average weekly receipts of a man over the whole period of his service would show a very different result. I will have the figures more closely examined and communicate the result to my hon. Friend, but I cannot hold out any hope that the decision about the gratuity will be revised.