§ Mr. MYERSasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the War Office if he is aware 869W that the accounts of Mr. H. A. Williams, of 45, Victoria Street, Bradford, an ex-soldier, who served as sergeant in the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Militia between 1896 and 1902, and re-enlisted in October, 1914, and was discharged physically unfit in October, 1917, have been the subject of correspondence from 24th April, 1918, up to the present time by reason of unpaid arrears; that after correspondence extending over the first six months of this period it was acknowledged that charges had been wrongly debited against Mr. Williams owing to confusion between two men of the same name; that when, after a further six months correspondence, the claim to arrears of pay was recognised, they were calculated without taking into account the fact that Mr. Williams had re-enlisted under the pledge of the late Lord Kitchener that re-enlisted soldiers would be given the rank they previously held; and that, as, the result of another twelve months' correspondence, Mr. Williams has been informed that he is not entitled to payment of arrears on sergeant's scale, because he was appointed acting sergeant when he re-enlisted in October, 1914, thus ignoring the fact which had been frequently repeated and emphasised in correspondence that Mr. Williams had actually served as a sergeant in his former period of service; and whether he will make further inquiries into this case with the object of seeing that the pledge of the late Lord Kitchener to time-expired soldiers who re-enlisted for service during the late War is fulfilled, at all events so far as rates of pay are concerned?
§ Sir A. WILLIAMSONEnquiries are being made, and I will let the hon. Member know the result as soon as possible.