13. Miss Wardasked the Secretary of State for War whether he is satisfied that where empty houses are used for billeting the fuel allowance is sufficient to provide adequate heating for the houses?
§ The Financial Secretary to the War Office (Mr. Richard Law)Commanding officers have authority, in cases where the normal scale is insufficient, to issue the extra fuel necessary to secure a reasonable degree of comfort.
§ 20. Captain Pluggeasked the Secretary of State for War how many troops are still under canvas and how long they are expected to continue to be so housed?
§ 21 and 29. Mr. Glenvil Hallasked the Secretary of State for war (1) when 578 all Army units will be housed in winter quarters either in huts or billets;
(2) whether he can give an assurance that all ranks will be billeted during the coming winter months either in huts or buildings?
§ Mr. LawI cannot state with accuracy how many troops are still under canvas, or how long they will remain so, but steady progress is being made with the provision of suitable winter accommodation, and every week will see a reduction in the number of men in tents. It will be realised that operational needs make it impossible to disperse troops over a wide area according merely to the availability of accommodation, and there is the further difficulty that the housing of persons evacuated from London and other bombed areas has taken up accommodation which might otherwise have been available for troops. Huts are being built all over the country as rapidly as labour can be spared from other essential defence work, and no means of housing the troops is being neglected. I would remind my hon. Friends that the evacuation of the British Expeditionary Force from France, as well as the bombing of the civil population, has added very considerably to the problem as it was envisaged some few months ago.
Mr. DavidsonWill the Minister keep in mind the fact that there is no shortage of labour with regard to building those huts, and that many building firms are doing absolutely nothing?