§ Brigadier-General NATIONasked the Financial Secretary to the War Office whether he can give in a short tabular statement the extent to which the recommendations of the May Report have been carried out, or will be carried out, before the end of the present financial year?
§ Mr. COOPERThe information is as follows:
917W
Army Estimates. May Committee recommendations and anticipated savings assumed therefrom in a full year. Action taken and Savings effected in Estimates, 1932. Paragraph. £ £ 91 Abolition of preferential bonus to industrial employés. 88,000 Accepted. (The balance of saving is in the Royal Ordnance Factories, and accrues to the Service Departments in the shape of reduced cost of production, the Army share of which is included in the total reduction of £3,442,000 mentioned below. 27,000 111 and 112. Application of 1925 rates of pay to all officers and other ranks of the Army. 990,000 Accepted as modified by the Government decision of 21st September, 1931, that reductions in pay should not exceed 10 per cent. 590,000 114 and 162. Deductions from the pay and pensions of officers in respect of the fall in the cost of living since 1919 to be revised and brought into harmony with the current cost of living index. Accepted. Periodical revisions to take place every six months with effect from 1st April and 1st October in each year. First revision made on 1st October, 1931, when a deduction of 11 per cent. Replaced a deduction of 8 per cent. Officers' Pay 175,000 Officers' Retired Pay, etc. 90,000 Officers' Pay. Revised estimate. 128,000 Officers' Retired Pay, etc. 90,000 210 Research— Reduction of 12½ per cent. 37,000 Accepted in part 22,000 219 Education— Reduction of 10 per cent. 85,000 Accepted in part 35,000 222 Inspection— Reduction of 10 per cent. 50,000 Accepted in part 41,000 226 Works Services— Reduction of 2½ per cent. 73,000 Reductions, in Works Services which amounted to £175,000 are included in the total savings referred to below. — 245 Subsidies for Mechanical Transport to be discontinued. 20,000 Not accepted. — 246 Light Horse Breeding Scheme to be discontinued. 30,000 Accepted. The full saving will be reached in 1934. 20,500 247 Clothing Allowance— Reduction of 10 per cent. 55,000 Accepted. Revised estimate 80,000 172 1930 scales of pensions to be applied on re-engagement or extension to all men now serving. — Accepted — Permanent savings were effected which exceeded the full amount recommended by the May Committee, more than equivalent economies being substituted for the variations between the two columns shown above. In addition temporary savings were made, which brought the total reduction in Army Estimates, 1932, as compared with 1931 to £3,442,000. (See Cmd. 4019).