§ 78. Sir HENRY HAVELOCK-ALLANasked the Pensions Minister whether he is aware that, at a recent meeting of the Northern Counties Joint Disablement 1169 Committee, a resolution was unanimously adopted expressing surprise and regret at the refusal of the Ministry of Pensions to provide training centres for discharged sailors and soldiers; and, seeing that the surprise and regret are all the more acute because of the public statements understood to have been made by him to the effect that the Government would find the capital for the setting-up and equipment of such centres, will he say what action he now propose to take?
§ Sir A. GRIFFITH-BOSCAWENI am aware of the resolution. Every effort is being made to provide adequate facilities for training disabled soldiers, but, as the need will probably exist for a few years only, it is obviously proper to make use of existing schools and institutions, and to arrange, when necessary, for their extension, rather than to incur capital expenditure to duplicate provision. If adequate provision cannot be arranged otherwise, the creation of additional centres will be considered, and proposals of this kind are dealt with upon their merits.