§ MR. SCOTT-MONTAGU (Hants, New Forest)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for War whether his attention has been drawn to the fact that many of the tents supplied to the Yorkshire Artillery Militia at Plymouth are rotten and not in the least rain-proof; whether he is aware that many of the tents supplied to the 4th Battalion Hampshire Regiment at Winchester were equally bad; and whether he will take steps to see that serviceable tents are supplied to Volunteer and Militia Battalions, considering the fact that the use of bad tents has a most discouraging effect on officers and men serving in those forces, and is a great cause of bad health?
§ * MR. CAMPBELL-BANNERMANNo Report has been received from the regiments specified, nor from the Southern District; but the General Officer Commanding the Western District has complained that the tents supplied for his district are thin. A similar Report was received from the same district last year, and, after careful investigation by the Quartermaster General and Director of Artillery personally, it was decided that the tents, though not new, were perfectly serviceable and must be taken into use. It is obvious that if new tents only are to be issued to the large number of men now placed under canvas every year the cost of camp equipment will be enormously increased. A proposal to use a heavier description of material is now under consideration.
§ MAJOR RASCH (Essex, S.E.)Can the right hon. Gentleman give us the date of the issue of these tents?
§ MR. CAMPBELL-BANNERMANI cannot. I should think the dates varied according to the tents.