§ MR. WASON () Clackmannan and KinrossI beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for War whether he is aware that a detachment of the London Scottish Rifle Volunteers, numbering fifty-five men, accepted for active service in South Africa with the Gordon Highlanders, were ordered to provide themselves with the Gordon tartan kilts; whether the Government Department at Pimlico were unable to supply the necessary kilts, and the detachment had to got them elsewhere; what extra expense was thereby caused to the detachment, and by whom will it be borne. And, if the detachment are now equipped, with the exception of the khaki aprons, which were not ready when the rest of the equipment obtained by the detachment was complete.
§ MR. WYNDHAMVolunteer corps I going out to South Africa provide their own clothing. The London Scottish expressed a wish to be affiliated to a Highland regiment instead of to the Rifle Brigade, of which they are the seventh battalion. This wish was gratified; they I consequently applied to the clothing department for the material for tartan kilts, which was issued to them. As regiments prefer to make up their kilts regimentally, no made up kilts are issued by the I department. An outfit allowance is granted for the expense of the clothing of the Volunteer corps going out.
§ MR. WYNDHAMHad the London Scottish gone out as part of the Rifle 221 Brigade they would have worn ordinary khaki, but of their own free will they made representations, which we were glad to receive, in favour of having tartan kilts, and no doubt they contemplated the consequences.