§ 19. Mr. MOREINGasked the Financial Secretary to the War Office whether, when considering plans for rebuilding Army barracks at Hongkong, he will take into consideration the necessity for providing accommodation in Shanghai less unfitted than the present hutments for habitation by British troops quartered in the international settlement.
§ Mr. HACKINGI would refer my hon. Friend to the answer which I gave to a similar question by my hon. Friend the senior Member for County Down (Mr. D. Reid) on 12th February last.
§ Mr. MOREINGCan my right hon. Friend give the House any assurance as to how long the troops are likely to remain at Shanghai in these very unsatisfactory conditions; is he aware that other countries are building very fine and adequate barracks to house their troops, and is it not rather disgraceful that our troops are still being kept in hutments?
§ Mr. HACKINGI cannot give any idea of how long it will be necessary to keep troops there. My responsibility ends with sending them to Shanghai and providing the conditions under which they are kept there. There has been no complaint as far as I know, about the temporary accommodation. It is a fact that it is only temporary, whereas other nations have permanent accommodation.