§ 5. Colonel YATEasked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether the prices charged by tailors for naval officers' uniforms are in any way controlled; and, if not, what steps have been taken to enable naval officers to obtain uniforms as nearly as possible at cost price, especially considering the recent orders requiring all young officers to provide themselves with mess dress?
§ The PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY to the ADMIRALTY (Dr. Macnamara)Government control of these prices has been in force up to the 31st March, as a necessary part of a scheme for ensuring that makers of naval officers' uniform should obtain adequate supplies of Government controlled material.
The Government control having been removed from wool as from the above date, the arrangements for controlling the prices of materials for naval officers' uniforms also come to an end. No orders have been issued requiring officers to provide themselves with mess dress, which is a more expensive uniform than mess undress.
During the War officers were only required to wear undress uniform, but it is now desirable that they should also wear mess undress. It should be noted that this order only applies to officers of the permanent Navy, and that all those in the Navy prior to the commencement of hostilities were already in possession of mess undress.
§ Colonel YATEMay I ask whether the midshipman who has been appointed during the War has to wear this uniform, and what arrangement has been made for him to get it at a reasonable price?
§ Dr. MACNAMARAI assume that the midshipman appointed during the War has not got mess undress. As regards arrangements for getting it, I have tried to answer in my reply, and I cannot go beyond that.