§ 2. Mr. Woodburnasked the Under-Secretary of State for War whether he is prepared to abolish the forms of issuing uniforms or grants for equipment to the Army and to equip all ranks direct from Army stores, so that there will be no financial obstacle to the promotion to commissioned rank of otherwise qualified men who have no outside incomes?
§ Mr. SandysThe present outfit grant is designed to cover the cost, apart from Purchase Tax, of all required articles of uniform, and is reviewed from time to time in the light of changes in the level of prices.
§ Mr. WoodburnWill the hon. Member not consider the question of abolishing this distinction in the methods of issuing uniforms and have all uniforms issued by the Army authorities as part of the outfit?
§ Mr. SandysIf the present grant were not sufficient, surely the right course would be to increase it and not to abolish it. We are not prepared to consider that course at the present time.