asked the Minister for Defence whether a claim for back pay has been received from Mr. W. Shannon, late No. 20259, 22nd Battalion Infantry; if he will state when it will be paid, and if he will investigate the circumstances which have delayed payment in a number of cases of men who served in this battalion.
WRITTEN ANSWERS. - SOLDIER'S BACK PAY.
Mr. Shannon's claim has been disallowed on the ground that he was properly paid for the period of his service in the Army.
I regret the delay in reaching decisions on claims for back pay made by some men who served in the 22nd Battalion. The delay has been due to insufficiency of records and to a difficulty of tracing officers whose verification of particulars of the claims is required before payment can be made. Efforts are being made to dispose of the claims quickly.