§ [SECOND READING.]
§ Order of the Day for the Second Reading read.
§ THE FIRST COMMISSIONER OF WORKS (EARL BEAUCHAMP)My Lords, this is a very small measure, the object of which is not in any way to alter the purposes to which Osborne House is now put but to extend them. There is room at Osborne for a certain number of beds, but there are not sufficient officers in the Navy and Army to occupy those beds fully. One consequence of that is that conveniences which have been established for invalids are not used, and the place is run at greater expense than would be the case if we had more patients there. What we propose by this Bill is to take power to treat members of the Civil Service and the Consular and Diplomatic services in the home in addition to others. Your Lordships will see that we take care by adding to those who will superintend the home representatives of the Army and Navy to make sure that the interests of officers in the Services will not be neglected. I beg to move.
§ Moved, That the Bill be now read 2ª.—(Earl Beauchamp.)
THE EARL OF CAMPERDOWNMy Lords, I do not rise to offer any opposition to this Bill, but merely to point out for the noble Earl's consideration, what appears to me to be a defect in it. This portion of Osborne House has, as he said, been set apart for officers of the Army and Navy and, I think, their relatives, and it appears that there are not sufficient to fill the home. It is now proposed to add other classes. I do not think there is any objection to that. It is quite true that up to the present time there have not been enough applicants to fill the house, but it is possible that hereafter there might be sufficient applicants from the two Services without any of the other classes. I would put it to the noble Earl whether it is not desirable to give priority to applications from those classes supposing that there were such applications.
§ THE EARL OF SELBORNEThe noble Earl stated, I think, the Civil Service and the Consular and Diplomatic services. Surely he does not mean to exclude the Colonial service, who, perhaps more than any other service after the Navy and the Army, require convalescent treatment?
§ EARL BEAUCHAMPThe noble Earl is quite right. We have no intention of excluding the Colonial service; perhaps I should have included them in the list I gave to the House. With regard to the remarks of Lord Camperdown, I have drafted an Amendment in that connection; and if he will give me an opportunity of showing it to him privately we may agree upon it before the House goes into Committee on the Bill.
§ On Question, Bill read 2—, and committed to a Committee of the Whole House Tomorrow.