§ Mr. Pearsonasked the Secretary of State for India whether he will outline what control the India Office exercises over the Indian Armed Forces; is any control operative over British soldiers after they have accepted Indian Army commissions; and, where such British officers have not provided maintenance for wife and children, what steps can be taken with the Indian authorities to secure that maintenance allowances are paid?
§ Mr. AmeryAn answer to the first part of the hon. Member's Question could not conveniently be given within the limits of1480W a reply to a Question. But so far as concerns the maintenance by an officer of the Indian Army of his wife and children in this country, the position is that the pay of an officer, whether of the British Service or Indian Army, and wherever serving, is protected by Section 136 of the Army Act, and that in regard to the Indian Army I have followed the War Office rule that failure by the officer to provide for the maintenance of his family involves forfeiture- of the right to draw married rates of pay. The threat to enforce this rule has been found in most cases to be efficacious.