§ 11. Lieut.-Colonel HOWARD-BURYasked the Secretary of State for War whether he is aware that the working capital of the Navy, Army and Air Force Institutes was largely derived from the distribution after the War of the profits of the Expeditionary Force canteen; and why no distribution of the Expeditionary Force canteen profits was made to the Territorial Army, seeing that the funds and profits of the Expeditionary Force canteen were derived in great part from dealings with 20 Territorial divisions at home and 14 divisions abroad?
§ Captain KINGAs regards the first part of the Question, approximately £150,000 was assigned under the War Service Canteens Act, 1922, to the institutes as working capital on loan, at interest, repayable over a term of years. As regards the latter part of the question, over £6,000,000 was paid to the United Services Fund to be used for the benefit of Territorial soldiers who had served in the Great War, as well as other ex-service men.
§ 12. Lieut.-Colonel HOWARD-BURYasked the Secretary of State for War whether he is aware that the Navy, Army, and Air Force Institutes give a flat rate of rebate of 81 per cent. to all Regular units using them, but reduce this rate to 1¼ per cent. for Territorial units if a philanthropic body, such as the Young Men's Christian Association, has a tent or hut in the same camp; and whether arrangements can be made to give a rate of rebate to Territorial units on the same basis as Regular units?
§ Captain KINGWhen Territorial Army units are in occupation of War Department huts and buildings, it is obligatory on them to employ the Navy, Army and Air Force Institutes, and they then receive the same rebate as units of the Regular Army. In other cases they are 964 at liberty to make their own arrangements, and the terms which the Navy, Army and Air Force Institutes offer are in competition with those of other contractors, and naturally vary with the particular circumstances of the camp.
§ 13. Lieut.-Colonel HOWARD-BURYasked the Secretary of State for War how many Territorial units last year did not make use of the Navy, Army, and Air Force Institutes; and what proportion this bears to the total number?
§ Captain KINGOf the 280 Territorial Army units which attended camp last year 135, or 48 per cent. did not use the Navy, Army and Air Force Institutes.