§ MR. KEARLEYI beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for War whether his attention has been directed to the failure on the part of the Commissioners of the Royal Patriotic Fund, as disclosed by the Report of the Select Committee, to administer the "Soldiers' Effects Fund," formed from the unclaimed balances of soldiers' effects transferred by the War Office to the Patriotic Fund Commissioners from time to time; whether he is aware that since 1884 the funds in the hands of the Commisioners have been allowed to accumulate from £44,182 to £134,333, and that from the income of £4,830 in 1895 the Commissioneis expended in relief £1,060 only, although the corpus of the fund is being added to continuously by further sums arising from soldiers' unclaimed effects; and, whether, in view of the fact that urgent cases of destitution 180 among widows, children, and dependent relatives of soldiers who have lost their lives in performance of Military duty are frequently brought to the attention of the War Department, he will consider the advisability of recommending to Her Majesty that the Soldiers' Effects Fund for the future should remain under the control and be distributed as formerly by the War Department?
*MR. POWELL-WILLIAMSWhen the balance of the "Soldiers' Effects Fund" was transferred in 1881 to the Commissioners of the Royal Patriotic Fund, it was anticipated that, with short service, the source whence it is replenished would be much diminished, and in that view the Commissioners were informed that the fund should not be appropriated to provide allowances for widows other than those of men on war service, actual campaigns being at that time in progress. The remainder of the fund was to be kept in hand to meet any extraordinary demand which might arise. Further instructions were issued in 1887 modifying this restriction, and it is believed that in consequence all the widows of men who have lost their lives in the performance of military duty have been relieved by the Commissioners. Instructions conveying further modifications in the same direction are being issued to the Commissioners, but there is no intention of removing the distribution of the fund from them.