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HIS DOCUMENT IS THE PROPERTY OF HIS BRITANNIC MAJESTY'S GOVERNMent

Page 356.of 488

Printed for the Cabinet. March 1949 Page 356 of 488 181

SECRET

C.P. (49) 61

10th March, 1949

CABINET

Copy No.

31.

MARRIAGE ALLOWANCE NATIONAL SERVICE OFFICERS

MEMORANDUM BY THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUER

IN November last the Minister of Defence announced* the following increases in the pay and marriage allowance of the Armed Forces :-

Pay

Other Ranks with higher qualifications or higher rank-increases

ranging from 7s. to 10s. 6d. a week.

Marriage allowance

Other ranks increases ranging, according to rank, from 7s. to 11s. a

week.

Officers-under 25 years of age an increase of 11s. a week;

25 years of age and over-increases of 42s. a week if not living in married quarters, 21s. a week if occupying married quarters.

The announcement said that National Servicemen would be eligible for the other ranks' pay increases when they had completed 12 months' service, but that the marriage allowance increases would not apply to National Servicemen.

The Minister of Defence (in his memorandum C.P. (49) 43) agrees that the marriage allowance increases should not be extended to National Service other ranks. But he considers that the omission from the Parliamentary Statement of any specific reference to National Service Officers will have been taken to imply that such officers are to receive the increases in marriage allowance; further, that if the marriage allowance increases are withheld from National Service Officers the Government will be exposed to a charge of bad faith. I see no adequate grounds for taking this view. The omission of any reference to National Service Officers was deliberate, because no agreement had been reached on the point at the time. The terms of the announcement were designed specifically to leave the position unprejudiced pending further discussion, and in the meantime it was agreed that the marriage allowance increases should not be paid to National Service Officers. The announcement said that marriage allowance increases would not apply to National Servicemen. These men, whether serving as other ranks or as officers, form a characteristic and identifiable class. Although in the Armed Forces there is a distinction, mainly on disciplinary grounds, between officers and other ranks, all National Servicemen, whether other ranks or commissioned, are subject to the same compulsion of service and are required to serve for the same period. It may be mentioned that over three months have now elapsed since the marriage allowance increases were put into effect, and, although they have not been extended to National Service Officers, no serious complaint† has arisen. This would seem to indicate that the exclusion of National Service Officers from the marriage allowance increases has been generally accepted.

:

* Official Report, 24th November, 1948, column 1250, a copy of which is attached to C.P. (49) 43. † A Question has now been put down for Tuesday the 29th March by Mr. Lipson.

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