§ MR. BARTLEY (Islington, N.)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for War whether Colonel Gascoigne's Report upon the condition of the married soldiers' quarters at Wellington Barracks was brought to his notice before the recent fire?
§ MR. E. STANHOPENo, Sir. Colonel Gascoigne's Report was not brought to my notice. During my visit to Wellington Barracks in July last I examined these buildings, amongst others, and it resulted in my deciding that these married soldiers' quarters should be pulled down as soon as other quarters could be found for the families. I have 348 made inquiry into the reasons why this Report was not brought to my notice, and I find that, so far from its being a special Report of an urgent character, it was a Report suggesting dealing with these quarters as a service to be brought forward only when the Estimates for the year 1891–2 were being considered, and it would, in the ordinary course, have been brought to my notice in January next.