16. Colonel BURNasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty if he is aware that the canteen at the Royal Naval College, Dartmouth, deals with others than the cadets and employés at the college; and what steps does he propose to take to put a stop to this practice on the part of a Government establishment carried on under exceptionally advantageous conditions as compared with the traders of the town?
§ Mr. AMERYThe Admiralty instructions, which are strictly carried out by the canteen, are that active service ratings, naval pensioners and reservists serving at the Royal Naval College may deal at this canteen for themselves and their wives and families, but that civilians pure and simple employed in connection with the establishment shall not be permitted to deal at the canteen. This is in accordance with the authorised practice in naval canteens in His Majesty's ships and fleet establishments and no action is considered necessary.
Colonel BURNIs the hon. and gallant Gentleman aware that civilians do, as a matter of fact, deal at this canteen and that it is impossible for private shopkeepers to compete with a Government establishment which gets its stores under exceptional advantages?
§ Mr. AMERYI shall be very grateful to my hon. and gallant Friend if he will give me any specific instances, as the inquiries I have made have elicited the answer that no civilians are allowed to deal at these canteens.
§ Sir C. KINLOCH-COOKEIs it the policy of the Government to take upon itself work ordinarily done by private traders?
§ Mr. SPEAKERThe answer to that question was "No."