§ Mr. T. Smithasked the Secretary of State for War whether he is aware that officers of the Supplementary Reserve and members of the Regular Army Reserve of Officers are paid monthly in arrear whilst Regular serving officers are paid monthly in advance; and whether, in view of the hardships that ensue, he is prepared to direct that payments to all officers shall be made fortnightly in advance during the present emergency?
§ Sir V. WarrenderThe statement in the first part of the question is not quite correct. The privilege of payment in advance is limited by the Pay Warrant to serving Regular officers of combatant arms. Regular serving officers of non-combatant corps and the staff have always been paid monthly in arrear as are officers of the Royal Navy and the Royal 543W Air Force. The concession in the Army is somewhat of an anachronism, but it is a long-standing condition of service of the Regular combatant officer. I see no grounds for extending it to all officers. It is not the practice in any civil calling, so far as I am aware, to pay salaries in advance. Any officer who requires an advance of pay on first joining may, however, obtain a fortnight's advance on application to the Command Paymaster or Army Agent from whom he is to draw his pay.