§ Mr. Daggarasked the Secretary of State for War whether he is aware that a soldier's proficiency pay of 6d. per day is being used as a means, not to improve the soldier's position, but to increase the allotment to his wife who suffers a reduction in her special allowance of 3s. 6d. per week; and whether he will authorise a change in the existing arrangement so as to allow the soldier to enjoy the benefit of such an increase in his pay?
§ Captain MargessonA married soldier is required, as a condition of the issue of family allowance, to make an allotment from his pay, and the amount of this allotment will vary with the soldier's rate of pay. In some cases, but by no means in all, the allotment is increased by the same amount as the increase in pay. In such cases, however, although the soldier himself derives no direct personal benefit, the wife does get the benefit. In no case does an increase in the soldier's allotment mean any diminution in the amount of the family allowance payable from Army Funds. If my hon. Friend is referring to the procedure under the War Service Grants Advisory Committee administered by the Ministry of Pensions, he will, I am sure, realise that it is the purpose of grants made by the Committee to relieve serious hardship caused by the calling-up of the soldier for war service. An increase in the soldier's pay must be regarded, therefore, as reducing the degree of hardship, in the same way as any other increase in income, and must therefore be taken into account in assessing the grant.
§ Sir F. Sandersonasked the Secretary of State for War whether he is aware that when men serving in the Army are moved from one district to another in this country it not infrequently happens that their pay and, in the case of married men, the wife's allowance falls into arrears; that cases are known where a soldier and his wife have had no pay for a period of nine weeks; that this is causing great distress to the 437W wives who are known to have been left without a penny, and will he take steps to speed up the machinery of his Department in order to avoid this delay in forwarding the soldier's pay; and, if the delay cannot be entirely eliminated, will he provide a fund, available to the local commanding officer, out of which advances can be made to the soldier or his dependants to relieve their distress?
§ Captain MargessonThe Question is in such an indefinite form that it is clearly impossible to give a definite answer, but, if my hon. Friend will send me any specific cases, I will have them examined immediately.