§ Sir H. CAYZERasked the Secretary of State for War if he is aware that the rate of retired pay of officers promoted to permanent combatant commissions in the Regular Army for service in the field during the Great War will be on 1st July next, owing to decrease in cost-of-living, approximately £12 per annum less than the pension of a regimental sergeant-major; and that warrant and non-commissioned officers' pensions are stabilised whilst permanent commissioned ranker officers' pensions are not; and, having in mind that the majority of these officers were promoted from warrant and senior non-commissioned rank, whether he will make a personal investigation into the matter with a view to the pensions of these retired officers being suitably increased?
§ Mr. SHAWThe retired pay of the officers to whom, I understand, the hon. and gallant Member is referring, varies like that of other officers with the cost-of-living figure, and I regret that I am unable to grant them special treatment in this respect. For the year ending 1st July, 1931, their minimum rate was £139 10s.; from that date it will be £138. The maximum rate of a warrant officer Class I is 143. But there is no true comparison between the rates. The officers' rate quoted might be earned with 15 years' service while the period required to earn the maximum warrant officers' rate would be about 30 years.