§ Mr. Lipsonasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether, in order to lessen the present disparity between the pay of men and women in the Forces and those in industry, without increasing the danger of inflation during the war, he will consider a scheme of additional deferred pay for men and women in the Forces to be made available for them after the war?
§ Sir K. WoodAs regards the comparison between the position of members of the Forces and workers in industry, I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply given by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on nth November to Questions by my hon. Friends the Members for Finchley (Mr. Crowder) and Swindon (Mr. Wakefield). As my hon. Friend is aware, the Government had recently under consideration the general question of the remuneration of members of the Forces, as a result of which it was decided to introduce the improved arrangements for the payment of War Service Grants set out in Command Paper No. 6318, and they think that it is desirable to await experience of the working of the new 1151W scheme before considering whether any further improvement should be made in the position of members of the Forces.
§ Sir A. Knoxasked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury the present salary and future maximum rate of pension of the Commander-in-Chief of the Mediterranean Fleet and the Commander-in-Chief of the Army in the Middle East?
§ Captain CrookshankThe present emoluments of the Commander-in-Chief, Mediterranean Fleet, are pay as Admiral, £6 6s. 8d. a day, table money, £4 10s. 0d. a day, together with furnished residence and services in kind. The gross cash emoluments amount to approximately £3,954 a year (pay £2,312, table money £1,642). If retired in the rank of Admiral the present holder will be eligible for maximum retired pay of £1,289 a year. The normal emoluments of the post of Commander-in-Chief, Middle East, when held by a British Service officer are £9 1s. 0d. a day, with the usual allowances in cash or kind for a General Officer, and an entertainment allowance of £750 a year. The gross emoluments amount to approximately £4,960 a year (pay £3,300, entertainment allowance £750, other allowances £910). The retired pay, assuming the officer is a substantive General, is £1,300 a year. The present holder of the post is, however, an Indian Army officer with reserved rights to Indian rates of pay and retired pay. The exact rates of pay are still under discussion and in the meantime he has drawn advances of pay on a provisional basis. The rate of retired pay for which he is at present eligible as a General of the Indian Army is £1,490. The maximum admissible is £1,500, which he will have earned if he serves until June, 1943.