asked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether he is aware that if a married man joins the Navy on a Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday instead of Thursday, Friday or Saturday, he forfeits up to 10 days' allotment; and what steps does he propose to take so that a man who presents himself for duty in the early part of the week is not so penalised?

A man entering the Navy on a Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday may declare an allotment from his pay through official channels to begin on the second Thursday following his day of entry. The man is not in any way penalised by this rule, as he receives his full pay from the day of his entry into the Service. My hon. Friend may, however, have in mind the method of payment of marriage allowances. Under recent arrangements marriage allowance starts from the day of entry instead of from the following Thursday, so that whatever the day of entry the arrangements for payment of marriage allowance are the same.