§ 23. Sir Frank Sandersonasked the Secretary of State for War the amount of the clothing allowances issued to guardsmen; and what kit they are expected to provide and maintain out of this amount?
§ The Financial Secretary to the War Office (Sir Victor Warrender)The clothing allowance received by a guardsman at home is 4s. 3d. a week. He is supplied free with an initial issue of necessaries and clothing, and the allowance is provided to cover their maintenance. As the list of necessaries and clothing is rather long, I will, with my hon. Friend's permission, circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT.
§ Following is the list:
| Personal Clothing. | |
| Boots, ankle (pairs) | 2 |
| Cap, forage | 1 |
| Cap, S.D. soft | 1 |
| Jacket, S.D. | 2 |
| Overalls (suits) | 2 |
| Puttees (pairs) | 2 |
| Shoes, canvas (pair) | 1 |
| Trousers, S.D. (pairs) | 2 |
| Trousers, tweed (pair) | 1 |
| Tunic | 1 |
| Necessaries. | |
| Badge, cap | 1 |
| Bag kit | 1 |
| Braces (pairs) | 1 |
| Brush, shoe, blacking | 1 |
| Brush, button, brass | 1 |
| Brush, clothes | 1 |
| Brush, hair | 1 |
| Brush, polishing | 1 |
| Brush, shaving | 1 |
| Brush, tooth | 1 |
| Brass, cleaning | 1 |
| Buttons, Royal Arms and rings sets (for overalls) | 1 |
| Cap, comforter | 1 |
| Comb, hair | 1 |
| Drawers, cellular, short (pairs) | 2 |
| Drawers, woollen (pairs) | 2 |
| Fork | 1 |
| Gloves, knitted (pair) | 1 |
| Holdall | 1 |
| Housewife | 1 |
| Jersey, pullover | 1 |
| Knife, table | 1 |
| Laces, leather (spare) (pair) | 1 |
| Razor (and blade) | 1 |
| Shirts, angola, drab | 3 |
| Socks, worsted (pairs) | 3 |
| Spoon | 1 |
| Titles (sets) | 2 |
| Towels, hand | 2 |
| Sponge | 1 |
§ 24. Sir F. Sandersonasked the Secretary of State for War whether, in view of the reasonable complaints that have been made against the cost incurred by the guardsmen in providing new tunics at a cost of£3 14s. each in connection with their duties on the Coronation route, and the fact that they were seriously damaged due to the heavy rains, he will consider granting to the men this amount of£3 14s. each as a special Coronation concession?
§ 31. Lieut.-Colonel Windsor-Cliveasked the Secretary of State for War whether he will arrange that, in those cases where a guardsman provided himself with a new tunic out of his clothing allowance and had that tunic ruined on the day of the Coronation, the cost of replacing that tunic by another new one shall be borne by public funds if the clothing allowance is insufficient to provide such replacement?
§ Sir V. WarrenderMy right hon. Friend will consider any facts which may be brought to his notice.
§ Mr. LawsonWhy cannot the War Office do the decent thing about this matter, seeing that these men have suffered in that they have had to pay for new uniforms specially for the Coronation? Why cannot they be recouped in these special circumstances?
§ Sir V. WarrenderThe hon. Member has no right to assume that the War Office is not going to do the decent thing. There is no intention that any men should suffer as a result of the unusual circumstances of the Coronation.
§ Mr. LawsonIs it not a fact that the only answer the House has had up to the present is that certain regulations are laid down and that they operate? How can the regulations apply to the special circumstances of the Coronation?
§ Sir V. WarrenderAs I said, the regulations will not be used in any harsh manner.
§ Mr. ShinwellWill the hon. Gentleman say whether, in fact, guardsmen whose uniforms were damaged are to be recouped for the loss they sustained?
§ Sir V. WarrenderThe position is that at the moment we do not yet know fully what the claims are going to be. As I said, there is no intention that men who 1004 suffered losses as the result of the unusual circumstances of Coronation day shall suffer.
§ Mr. MacquistenDoes this not show the desirability of clothing all soldiers in the kilt, which never suffers from the rain?