5. Lieut.-Colonel W. GUINNESSasked the Secretary of State for War whether No. 882 Motor Transport Company, Royal Army Service Corps, has a strength of 207 cars; whether all these cars are for the use of War Offise and other officials; whether he is aware that this company now occupy premises in Ebury Bridge Road, Chelsea, with a floor area of 84,000 square feet, and which are required by the leaseholders for a business which would there employ over 400 discharged men; that the leaseholders were informed that their premises would be freed provided that alternative accommodation was suggested; and that two suitable alternative premises have been suggested and both of them commandeered; and whether, in view of the present amount of unemployment, any date can be given when the Ebury Bridge Road premises will be made available for occupation by the leaseholders?
§ The FINANCIAL SECRETARY to the WAR OFFICE (Mr. Forster)The number of Motor Transport vehicles on the strength of No. 882 Motor Transport Company is 169. These vehicles are for the use of the War Office, General Headquarters, Great Britain, the Eastern Command and London District Headquarters, the War Cabinet, representatives of Allied Governments, and of the Dominions, etc. I am informed that the area of the Ebury Bridge Road premises is approximately as stated by my hon. and gallant Friend. I understand that the leaseholders are a recently floated company, known as the British Motor Trading Corporation, Limited, which is, I believe, under the direction of Brigadier-General Conway Jenkins, C.B.E., lately retired from the Royal Air Force. Brigadier-General Conway Jenkins has been informed that the premises would be vacated if a suitable substitute could be found, but no suitable alternative premises have yet been suggested. The two brought to notice were 998 unsuitable, and in any case were already earmarked by the War Department for another purpose before they were mentioned by Brigadier-General Conway Jenkins. I am afraid it is not possible at present to fix a date when the Ebury Bridge Road premises can be vacated.
§ Lieut.-Colonel ASHLEYWill my right hon. Friend say if, when Peace is declared, it is the policy of the Government to confine the use of motor cars to those officials of the War Office who were entitled to them in 1914?
§ Mr. FORSTERI hope to return to peace conditions as soon as possible. I believe my right hon. Friend the Leader of the House has undertaken to give this matter of the use of motor vehicles by Government Departments his personal attention.