Sir J. D. REESasked the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether no officer of the Levant Consular Service in Egypt has yet received any payment on account of the War bonus sanctioned 1246W with effect from the 1st October, 1919; and whether, in view of the hardship involved on a service up to 1919 admittedly underpaid, he will direct the payment of a provisional allowance pending a final settlement of the precise amounts due?
§ Sir P. LLOYD-GREAMENo payments have been made to officers of the Levant Consular Service in Egypt on account of War bonus, as sufficient data for determining the rise in the cost of living in that country have not yet been received from the Consular officers there, and it has, therefore, not been possible to fix the rate of the bonus. Until that is done, no payments on account can be made, because until the particulars asked for have been furnished, it is not possible to estimate, even roughly, the amount that may be payable.