§ Motion made, and Question proposed, "That a sum, not exceeding £7,000, be granted to His Majesty, to complete the sum necessary to defray the Charge which will come in course of payment during the year ending on the 31st day of March, 1913, for Expenditure in respect of Osborne." [Note.—£6,000 has been voted on account.]
§ 5.0 P.M.
§ Mr. WHELERThis Vote seems to be made out in a most unsatisfactory way. A large portion of the house at Osborne is being devoted to the purposes of a convalescent home for officers of both the Army and Navy, who have been injured and who go there to recuperate. There is, however, another charge made for the keeping up of the State apartments, which the public have a right to view. Both these two charges are lumped together, and there is no information beyond a very rough estimate as to how much is spent on the convalescent home and how much on keeping up the State apartments. That seems to me a most unsatisfactory way of making out an Estimate. The sub-note briefly says the proportion approximately is £8,000 to the convalescent home and £5,000 to the State apartments. I should like to ask whether the rooms which are now set apart for those officers of the Army and Navy who are in a state of bad health when they go there are open to the inspection of the public as well as the general apartments at Osborne, because, if that is so, I cannot help thinking it must be most unsatisfactory to have the general public on certain days inspecting those rooms. I should like some information on that point. I am not saying that excellent work is not done on behalf of those men. I believe there are at present some forty-two officers there receiving excellent treatment, and the beautiful surroundings no doubt must be of great benefit to them, but, if the rooms are open to inspection by the public, much of the charm and enjoyment of those surroundings must be taken away from them. I should like information on that point, and also in regard to the item for furniture. There is a sum of £774 put down in the estimates for furniture, and it is exactly 44 the same amount as appeared in last year's estimates. I would like to know whether that is an annual charge or whether it is due to the fact that the money voted last year was not spent? Later in the estimates I find that salaries are paid in a rather extraordinary way. The foreman of the garden gets a wage of 48s., going up by annual increments of one shilling per week, and, in other cases, there are also small rises. All this must lead to unnecessary book-keeping, and I would like to ask whether some better system could not be adopted. It would be very interesting to the House to know what are the results of this excellent home for officers, and I hope I shall get an assurance that those portions of the building which are set apart for men sent there to recover from illness are not open to public inspection?
§ Mr. WEDGWOOD BENNI think I can give a very simple reply to the hon. Member's questions. As to the allocation of expense between the State apartments and the apartments used as a convalescent home, I may explain it is impossible to divide the amount of time officers are employed in supervising the different rooms, and, therefore, the figures cannot be allocated, with exactitude, so far as individual officers are concerned. As to the inspection of the rooms, it is only the State apartments that are open to public inspection; the hospital apartments are private. I hope the answer I have given the hon. Member is satisfactory.
§ Question put, and agreed to.