§ 9. Mr. Manuelasked the Secretary of State for War if he will take steps to prevent the families of soldiers who are being ordered overseas being evicted from houses under the control of his Department or the local Territorial associations.
§ Mr. M. StewartBefore a soldier is allotted a married quarter he has to sign a certificate, included in which is a statement that he understands that he will be required to move his family when he is posted from the station and alternative accommodation is offered. It is the policy of my right hon. Friend to enable soldiers to be united with their families at their duty stations whenever possible and there are long waiting lists for married quarters vacated by the families of soldiers posted abroad. No family of a serving soldier is required to leave War Department or Territorial Army married quarters unless alternative accommodation, usually in a families camp, is available for them.
§ Mr. ManuelIs my hon. Friend aware of the case which I have forwarded to his Department of a Regular soldier with 17 years' service who is now getting a posting to Malaya; and on the same day as he got that posting his wife got an order for her eviction, along with four children, from the Territorial house?
§ Mr. StewartWe should certainly see that no such order was carried out with improper haste, and in any case not unless alternative accommodation was available.
§ Sir Herbert WilliamsAre these military quarters known as tied cottages?
§ Mr. StewartOnly by people who confuse two distinct ideas.