§ Mr. BARNESI beg to ask the Financial Secretary to the War Office a question of which I have given him private notice: Whether he is aware that tradesmen and householders in Reigate have been put to considerable expense in consequence of an official notification having been given them to provide for the billeting and provisioning of soldiers; whether he is aware that after repeated statements had been made by the War Office officials of the coming of the men, the notification was suddenly cancelled on Wednesday last; and whether any compensation will be paid to these tradesmen and householders?
§ Mr. ANEURIN WILLIAMSThe same thing has happened in the Guildford Division.
§ Sir J. TUDOR WALTERSAnd the same thing has happened in Prestatyn in North Wales.
§ Mr. BARNESWill the hon. Gentleman have special inquiries made into this particular case at Reigate?
§ Mr. HUNTI wish to ask the Financial Secretary to the War Office whether in view of the fact that the War Office scale for board, lodging and billeting is 3s. 4½d. without washing, and that the National Federation of Health Resorts comprising seventy towns have made a definite offer guaranteed by the various corporations represented of 2s. 6d. per day per man to include washing for something like 250,000 men, he would consider whether the War Office has power to accept this offer, and if so, will the Secretary of State for War give the matter 1497 serious consideration in view of the discontent at present existing caused by the fact that in some towns considerably more is paid per man than in others.