§ Lieut.-Colonel HENEAGEasked the Secretary of State for War if his attention has been called to the fact that the pay of second lieutenants in the infantry is not sufficient to meet the compulsory deductions from their pay mentioned in King's Regulations and their mess bill; and whether his attention has been called to cases where officers who have been promoted from the ranks have had to resign on account of not being able to live on their pay?
§ Mr. SHAWAs regards the first part of the question the hon. and gallant Member has been misinformed. The rates of pay of all officers in all branches of the Service have been fixed at such figures as, it is estimated, should enable an officer without any private means, who practises due economy, to live on his pay while meeting the normal expenses of his rank. As regards officers selected from the ranks for cadetships at the Royal Military Academy and Royal Military College and subsequent commissions in the Army, there has recently been evidence that in some cases they are handicapped by initial expenses at the outset of their career and it has therefore been decided to raise the minimum rate of pay which such candidates receive during the period of their training at the cadet colleges. This, it is hoped, will result in their being in possession of what an officer needs when they join their regiments and will give them a fair financial start as officers.