§ 40. Sir W. Smithersasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many overcoats and battledresses he has issued, or proposes to issue, for the members of the Civil Defence Force; what is the cost of each outfit; and what is the total cost.
§ The Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department (Mr. Geoffrey de Freitas)Thirty-two thousand five hundred uniforms, including an overcoat and battledress, have been issued at an average cost of about eight guineas. The total cost is therefore about £275,000. The policy of supplying uniforms is being reconsidered. Meanwhile, no more uniforms are being issued.
§ Sir W. SmithersIs the hon. Gentleman aware that a young farm worker in a small village told me the other day that he and his five friends were each issued with a battledress and overcoat and that his reaction was that it was a gross waste of money in view of the present shortage of clothing, under a Socialist Government?
§ Mr. de FreitasThe shortage of raw materials and the increasing cost was a factor which influenced us in stopping this issue.
§ Brigadier Prior-PalmerWould the hon. Gentleman explain exactly what is happening? In reply to a Question of mine before Easter he informed me that uniforms would be issued to the Civil Defence by November last. Has that policy been changed?
§ Mr. de FreitasThis is not the first time that the suspension of the issue has been announced in the House. Thirty-two thousand uniforms had been issued up to the time of the suspension and we are considering whether there should be some further issue on some other basis, geographical, functional, and so on.