§ LORD BALCARRESOn behalf of the hon. Member for the Medway Division of Kent, I beg to ask the Secretary of State for War whether members of the Yeomanry will, under Territorial Army regulations, continue to be allowed to provide their own horses for annual trainings, receiving as hitherto an allowance for doing so.
§ MR. HALDANEA grant of £5 per horse is made to County Associations for the provision of horses; and in the case of officers or men riding their own horses, the £5 will be paid over to the officer or man on the same terms as those on which the Association receives it.
§ COLONEL SEELY (Liverpool, Abercromby)asked whether the right hon. Gentleman would consider the possibility of instructing the Government to continue to pay compensation for the loss of horses when on service, as in previous years, instead of laying the loss on the men.
§ MR. HALDANEThat is a question of policy, which I must consider.
§ COLONEL SEELYasked whether the right hon. Gentleman would take into 1347 consideration that it was much cheaper for the Government to insure, all the horses than it was for a private individual or an Association.
COLONEL HERBERT (Monmouthshire, S.)asked whether the yeoman would get the £5 in full or less the cost of insuring. Could not the Government take any responsibility for insurance?
§ MR. HALDANEsaid that the provision of horses was left to the Association. The Government furnished the money, the amount of the grant being £5, and the Association would then take steps with regard to insurance if it thought right to do so. The Government never insured: it was very bad business for the Government to insure.