Mr. W. Joseph Stewartt asked the Secretary of State for War whether he is aware that no pay has been given to many young Territorial officers who have recently joined up; and will he take immediate steps to remedy this hardship?
§ Mr. Hore-Belisha:Regimental pay of Territorial Army officers is issuable monthly in arrear so that no Territorial Army officer who has joined during September became entitled to pay until 30th September.
There is, however, provision in the Pay Warrant for the issue of an advance of 14 days' pay on first joining, if an officer desires it and makes application to the Agent or Paymaster from whom he is to receive his pay, with a certificate that he has actually joined for duty. All officers who joined during or before September 1974W should by now have received an issue of pay if their joining has been duly reported. It is, of course, essential, before pay can be issued, that the Agent or Paymaster from whom the officer elects to receive it should know that he has joined for duty, and where and how he wishes his pay to be credited. Forms exist for this purpose which every officer should have completed immediately on joining. Failure to do this sometimes leads to delay in payment.