§ Viscount VALENTIAasked the Secretary for War, in view of the fact that on mobilisation some county associations are ordered to provide within a week a fully-equipped general hospital, the administrator of which is expected to arrange for having a call upon local tradesmen for hospital equipment, drugs, and surgical appliances, besides fittings for a building in which to store them, that the local tradesmen appear unwilling to set aside the requisite stock owing to the inconvenience to them of locking up the capital required, and that the county associations are precluded by C. M. 221 from incurring any expenditure on purchase, storage, or other provision for equipment, whether he will consider the necessity for a special grant to be devoted to the above object?
§ Mr. HALDANEThe whole question is under consideration.