CAB129-33 — Page 26

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STATEMENT (24TH NOVEMBER 1948, HANSARD, COL. 1250)

ARMED FORCES (PAY AND ALLOWANCES)

At the end of Questions

MR. ALEXANDER: The Government have carefuly reviewed the financial position of officers and other ranks in the Armed Forces. As the House knows, the scales of pay and allowances of ratings and other ranks were designed to secure broad equality between Service emoluments and rates of wages for comparable civilian employment.. Industrial wages have risen since 1946, and the Service man has, to some extent, shared in these increases by reason of the increased value to him of the food, clothing and accommodation which he receives in kind. Nevertheless there is evidence of hard ship experienced on present emoluments, in parti- cular by married men. It has therefore been decided to grant to other ranks increases in both pay and marriage allowance. I am circulating full details in the OFFICIAL REPORT, and in the circumstances it is not proposed to publish a further White Paper.

I will deal first with marriage allowance. The present rates for other ranks range from 35s. to 45s. a week. In the case of men serving on voluntary regular engagements the revised range will be from 42s. to 56s. a week, an increase of from 7s. to lls.

As regards pay there will be no increase for recruits during their first six months' service, nor for the private soldier or his equivalent without any special trade or other Service qualifications. For men with higher qualifications or higher rank however there will be increases in basic pay ranging from 3s. 6d. a week to as much as 10s. 6d. a week. These arrangements should encourage the recruitment of men with special skill, and provide general incentive to acquire higher qualifications. In all, therefore, the increases for married men will range from 7s. up to 21s. 6d. a week.

The new rates of marriage allowance will not apply to National Service men. They will however be eligible to have their Service emoluments supplemented by a system of National Service Grants, similar to the War Service Grants which were introduced, for the same purpose, during the War. Details are now being worked out. The increases in pay will apply to National Service men after their first year of service. Until they have completed this period of service no improvement in the existing rates of pay is, in our view necessary.

As regards officers, the present rates of pay take account of the special expenses involved in Service life, we have however decided that in present circum- stances some further assistance is necessary for married officers. These officers, owing to the present abnormal

of of Page oupled pequez y peg postings in the Services goue gith the general housing shortage are exposed to numerous exceptional expenses including, if they are not accom- modated in official quarters, very high rents. The

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