§ Captain HAMBROasked the Secretary of State for War whether temporary officers who held gazetted appointments in the Postal Censor's Department are entitled to War gratuity; and whether officers of the Regular Army who served as examiners in the same Department are entitled to War gratuity?
§ Sir A. WILLIAMSONThe answer to the first part of the question is in the affirmative. Officers of the Regular Army temporarily attached to the Postal Censor's Department and employed as examiners on full Army pay while unfit for general service would count their service in the Department for War gratuity. Officers of the Regular Army not on full 1297W Army pay and appointed in a civilian capacity are not entitled to War gratuity in respect of their service in the Postal Censor's Department.
§ Mr. HAYDAYasked the Secretary of State for War if his attention has been called to the case of Mr. R. J. Osborne, of 14, Crown Road, Dereham, who was demobilised in June, 1919, and received a gratuity of £27, which was entirely expended on a civilian outfit; whether in November, 1919, Mr. Osborne was called upon to refund the gratuity, a demand which has been repeated on a number of occasions since that date; and whether, seeing that the money has been spent and that the whole question of the War gratuity is the subject of negotiations between the Union of Post Office Workers and the Post Office, he will issue instructions that such demands for refundment must not be pressed?
§ Sir A. WILLIAMSONI will have inquiry made into this case and let the hon. Member know the result in due course.