HC Deb 02 December 1957 vol 579 cc16-7W
Captain Corfield

asked the Minister of Defence whether he is yet in a, position to announce any measures to remedy anomalies and grievances relating to allowances for the Armed Forces.

Mr. Sandys

As my hon. Friend is aware, the Government are studying the whole problem of pay and conditions of service for the Armed Forces. In the meantime, they have decided to remove certain anomalies and grievances.

Many married personnel serving in Aden, the Persian Gulf and Habbaniya are unable to have their families with them owing to the shortage of married quarters or other suitable accommodation. It has now been decided to grant them leave to the United Kingdom at public expense once during a tour of duty of at least two years, as is already done for personnel in Cyprus and Kenya.

Disturbance allowance is payable once during each posting to cover some of the incidental expenses incurred in moving a family. Since it is sometimes necessary for families to move more than once during a posting this allowance will henceforth be paid as often as a family is required to move for Service reasons.

Three free travel warrants are allowed annually to all Service personnel in the United Kingdom but their use is, at present, restricted to periods of long leave. It would frequently be more convenient for these warrants to be used at other times and the present restriction is accordingly being removed.

A widower with one child normally draws only half the normal rate of marriage allowance. The full rate will in future be paid.

Under present regulations, married personnel serving in Her Majesty's ships, but living temporarily with their families while in port, are not entitled to draw ration allowances or to obtain a refund of daily travelling expenses, unless their ship is at more than 48 hours' notice for steam. These allowances will now be paid whenever night leave is given for four consecutive nights.

Married unaccompanied personnel on temporary duty overseas are not now entitled to draw more than the single rate of local overseas allowance until after 61 days, unless it is known, at the outset, that the tour of temporary duty will exceed that period. This qualifying period will now be abolished and Local Overseas Allowance at the married unaccompanied rate will be paid from the start.

Rations for married personnel in Germany are at present supplied through the Royal Army Service Corps and ration allowance is calculated on that basis. This restricts freedom in buying food and is unpopular. This system will be changed as soon as possible, and the rates of ration allowance and Local Overseas Allowance will be revised.