asked the Secretary of State for War whether he is aware that there is much difficulty in the matter of the amounts granted by court order to separated wives of soldiers; whether he can state the principle upon which these payments are made by his Department in such cases; and whether any allowance is made for children?

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he is aware that under the army Regulations, if a man who has deserted his wife and children joins the Army his wife is unable to obtain the usual allowances for herself and her children if she has obtained a separation order through the courts; that this state of affairs is compelling many women to apply for public assistance; that one woman, whose husband joined the Army on 4th September, has never received a halfpenny piece for herself or her two young children, even though the usual stoppage for her has been deducted from the husband's pay; that orders made by the courts are ignored by his Department; and what steps does he propose to take to remedy these injustices?

The normal family allowance is designed to assist soldiers in the maintenance of their homes. When these homes have been broken up in the circumstances indicated, family allowance is not issuable, but the soldier can be placed under compulsory stoppages of pay under the provisions of Section 145 (2) of the army Act. Where, in the case of a man called up for war service, the stoppage is appreciably less than the payment he was previously making for the support of his wife and of any children in her care, it can be supplemented by the Ministry of Pensions on the recommendation of the War Service Grants Advisory Committee.

I will see whether the procedure for making payments under court orders can be expedited, but, in cases of difficulty, the wife can apply for temporary help from the Unemployment Assistance Board. If the hon. Member for Kingstonupon-Hull, East (Mr. Muff) will send me particulars of the case he has in mind, I will have immediate inquiries made. It is not the case that court orders are ignored by my Department.

Viscountess Astor:

Is my right hon. Friend aware that we can give him many cases of wives who have had to go to public assistance committees when the soldier has named a woman with whom he has been living only a short time? Does he not realise that there is really a great feeling in the country about this matter?

The Noble Lady will remember that I received her as one of a deputation on this matter and promised to give it my most earnest attention.

If a court order is made for a certain amount do I take it that the woman necessarily receives that amount from the soldier in the army?

The present system, which follow s that of peace-time, is that under the law stoppages can be made from a soldier's pay to an amount determined by the military authorities.

Not necessarily the amount of the court order?

It may not be possible. The amount of the order may be too great