asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will amend the practice respecting the payment of war service gratuities so that anything more than half a month's service counts as one month instead of, as at present, a man losing a month's gratuity in respect of service of one month minus one day.

No, Sir. 600,000 gratuities have already been paid, or are in process of payment. The assessments have been made in at least another 300,000 cases. It would cause much confusion and delay if all this work had to be done again.