§ 16. Captain Bullockasked the Secretary of State for War whether he is aware that, in many cases, if a soldier is not fitted for clothing when he is demobilised, he has to wait a long time for his suit, sometimes five or six months; and whether, as the clothing position is now easier, he will make arrangements to lessen the period of waiting.
§ Mr. LawsonI would refer the hon. and gallant Member to the reply given to my hon. Friend the Member for Wimble don (Mr. Palmer) on Tuesday last.
§ Captain BullockDoes the Minister realise that it is the outsizes for which men have to wait many weeks and sometimes many months. The people concerned are not of standard size. I could give the right hon. Gentleman several cases to illustrate this fact.
§ Mr. LawsonIf I have particular cases given to me—I sometimes do get them—I take steps about them at once. I say that on the whole, on this question of suits, those who have delivered the suits and those who are responsible for demobilisation have done a very good job of work. I am sorry that certain kinds of suits are a long time being delivered. I think it is the double-breasted ones. We have done all we can be expedite them.
§ Captain BullockIt has nothing to do with the double-breasted ones at all. It is a question of standard size. His Majesty's Government cannot make everybody of standard size.
§ Mr. LawsonI think hon. Members will agree that where attention has been drawn to any individual case, such as has been mentioned by the hon. and gallant Gentleman, I have had it dealt with.