§ MR. CONYBEAREI beg to ask the Secretary of State for War whether it is the practice in the Indian Army for compensation money to be paid to the soldiers in lieu of an issue of cloth clothing, when it is found that owing to the wearing of white and "khakee" their cloth clothing does not need replacing; whether in some regiments such compensation money amounts to many thousands of rupees, which for the most part goes to the benefit of the canteen; and whether he will consider whether it would conduce to the moral and material interests of the men if such compensation money, less what is required by them for the providing of their Indian clothing, were paid to their credit in the savings banks and, like deferred pay, given to them on their discharge?
§ THE UNDER SECRETARY OF STATE FOR INDIA (Sir J. GORST, Chatham)Perhaps the hon. Member will allow me to answer the question which he has addressed to my right hon. Friend. The answer to the first paragraph of the question is in the affirmative. The answer to the second paragraph is that the amount varies in different regiments; the amounts due may be expended at the discretion of the commanding officer for the purchase of such articles of clothing or necessaries as the soldier may require. In reply to the third paragraph of the question, I have to say that the Secretary of State does not consider that any change in the existing regulation is necessary.