HC Deb 27 January 1930 vol 234 cc645-6W
Sir H. CAYZER

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether, seeing that the service pensions granted to retired officers of the Royal Navy and Royal Marines have been reduced on account of a fall in the cost of living and that the pay of the civil staff at the Admiralty and the dockyards has been increased owing to a rise in the cost of living, he will explain the reason for this anomaly?

Mr. PETHICK-LAWRENCE

The hon. and gallant Member is misinformed in suggesting that the pay of the civil staff of the Admiralty is being, or has recently been, increased in consequence of a rise in the cost of living or for any other reason. The position is that the Government have decided that Civil Service pay and pension, and Service officers' pay and retired pay, which are all subject to adjustment according to the cost-of-living index figures, shall for limited periods be related in each case to an assumed index figure of 70, instead of to the less favourable figures which actually obtain. I cannot, therefore, agree that any anomaly has arisen. I may, perhaps, remind the hon. and gallant Member that the present rates of officers' pay and retired pay are related to cost-of-living figures for 1926 and took effect from 1st July, 1927. Since that date Civil Service pay has been subject to cost-of-living adjustment on four occasions and pension on eight occasions.

Sir H. CAYZER

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether, seeing that naval pay is being reduced, due to a fall in the cost of living, and that the pay of the civil staff at the Admiralty is being increased in consequence of a rise in the cost of living, he will explain this anomaly?

Mr. PETHICK-LAWRENCE

I would refer the hon. and gallant Member to the previous reply which I have given him to-day.