§ 32. Mr. CHARLES DUNCANasked the Under-Secretary of State for War whether the wives and families of Reservists and Territorials called to the front are treated in any way differently, as regards War Office provision or supplementary allowance derived from the 939 Prince of Wales' Fund, from the wives and families of men of equal military grades who enlisted in the Army before the declaration of war or since that declaration; and, if so, will he state in what respects?
Mr. BAKERThere is no difference as regards Army allowances, and though I cannot answer for the Prince of Wales' Fund, so far as I am aware there is no difference in that case also.
§ Mr. JONATHAN SAMUELIs the hon. Member aware that that is a matter left to the visitors whether they pay or not?
§ 33. Mr. CHARLES DUNCANhad given notice of the following question: To ask the Under-Secretary of State for War whether the supplementary allowances from the Prince of Wales' Fund are being disbursed in the case of enlisted men by the Soldiers' and Sailors' Families Association, whereas precisely similar payments in the case of Reservists and Territorials are being disbursed by the local relief committee; whether the Government is aware that, at Newcastle-on-Tyne in particular, such supplementary allowances to the wives of enlisted men are made in cash without conditions as to the articles to be purchased, whereas precisely similar payments to the wives of Reservists and Territorials derived from precisely the same funds are made only in tickets, not generally available for purchases even of food, to say nothing of the payment of rent, but only for the purchase of a limited list of commodities, excluding many articles of prime necessity; whether the Government is aware that fresh milk is absolutely excluded from such list, even in cases of mothers of young children; whether such restriction on expenditure has been approved by the Government or by the executive committee of the Prince of Wales' Fund; if so, whether it is really intended to exclude fresh milk, to name only one omission, from the dietary of infants of Reservists and Territorials; whether there is any reason for subjecting the wives of Reservists and Territorials to any restrictions from which the 940 wives of enlisted men are free; and, if not, whether the Government will take steps to ensure that the wives and families of all men at the front of equal military grade shall, so far as general regulations are concerned, everywhere be dealt with alike, by the same agencies, and with equal restrictions, if any?
§ Mr. DEPUTY-SPEAKERThis question seems to contravene Mr. Speaker's ruling with regard to the Prince of Wales' Fund. There is a paragraph at the end which it may be in order to answer, but I do not know whether the representative of the Government is prepared to answer it.
Mr. BAKERThe hon. Member's question refers to private and not to public funds. I would suggest that he might bring the matter to the notice of the committee of the Prince of Wales' Fund.