§ 53. Dr. Segalasked the Minister of Defence whether the recently announced basic home ration scales for the Services will be supplemented in respect of any 1807 particular categories of personnel engaged in specially strenuous duties.
§ Mr. AlexanderYes, Sir. A supplementary ration which adds over 400 calories a day to the basic home ration scale will continue to be issued to personnel of the Forces at home who are engaged on specially strenuous duties. Examples in the Army and R.A.F. are recruits undergoing primary training, troops under training at battle schools, physical training schools, physical development centres, O.C.T.U's., boys' technical schools and all personnel actively engaged in flying duties. In the Navy, this supplementary ration is allowed to new entries. It may also be specially issued to personnel engaged in manœuvres or other forms of hard training, or on heavy works services.
§ Dr. SegalWhile I thank my right hon. Friend for his endeavour to ease the sense of unfairness created by his former statement, may I ask if he could inform the House whether these changes will now involve indenting for rations on the basis of special trades, instead of on the basis of units as a whole, whether this will not give rise to considerable administrative difficulty, and whether his present statement may not cause some invidious distinction between the different amounts of rations?
§ Mr. SpeakerI do not know whether the hon. Member is making a speech or asking a question.
§ Mr. AlexanderI do not think any difficulty will arise in that way, because it will be done on exactly the same basis as before, when we were giving these additions or preferences.
§ 55. Lieut.-Commander Gurney Braithwaiteasked the Minister of Defence what changes in the pay of H.M. Forces will be made to compensate for the reduction in rations.
§ Mr. AlexanderNone, Sir. The small net reduction of certain items of the home ration scale will be made good by additional bread and unrationed foods; the calorific value of the ration will remain about the same. A small increase in the cash messing allowance has, however, been granted to help the Services to maintain a balanced diet on the new scales.
§ Mr. Norman BowerWill the Minister further consider increasing the cash allowance in the case of the Army because the amount of food which can be bought for 4d. a day is negligible?
§ Mr. AlexanderAs we have already announced, we have increased it by 1½d. a day and, with this extra balancing I have mentioned, I think they will be quite comfortable.
§ Mr. MarloweDoes the right hon. Gentleman recall that when he announced this reduction, and was criticised for it, he prayed in aid the fact that the Forces obtained supplementary rations from the canteens? How can they get those supplementary rations without proper allowances?
§ Mr. AlexanderThe extent to which they require extra rations from the canteens depends on what arrangements we made, and have since made, to see that they get adequate food.