§ 2.47 p.m.
§ VISCOUNT BRIDGEMANMy Lords, I beg to ask the second question standing in my name on the Order Paper.
§ [The question was as follows:
§ To ask His Majesty's Government what progress has been made with the issue of No. 1 Dress to the British Army and whether it is proposed, until the No. 1 Dress is issued, to make any arrangement whereby members of the Regular Army can obtain plain clothes 416 or be afforded some other alternative to battle dress.]
§ THE MINISTER OF CIVIL AVIATION (LORD NATHAN)My Lords, the introduction of No. 1 dress has been postponed owing to the economic situation. Officers and men in possession of Service dress may wear it pending the issue of No. 1 Dress. Members of the Regular Army are allocated an allowance of 30 coupons annually for the maintenance of plain clothes, with an additional bonus of five additional coupons for each complete year of service between 1941 and 1946.
§ VISCOUNT BRIDGEMANMy Lords, I am much obliged to the noble Lord for that information. Arising out of the answer which he has given will he confirm that the issue of those coupons applies to every man who enlists on a Regular attestation? I hope that that is so.
§ LORD NATHANMy Lords, I understand that 30 coupons are issued annually to members of the Regular Army and I must assume—as I think that the noble Viscount, Lord Bridgeman, will assume also, from what I have said—that that applies to all who are members of the Regular Army.
LORD STRABOLGIMy Lords, may I ask the noble Lord if those coupons are available for wives as in the case of civilians?
§ LORD NATHANI think that that is a question of which the noble Lord will have to give me notice.
§ LORD MANCROFTMy Lords, arising out of the noble Lord, Lord Nathan's first reply, may I ask whether His Majesty's Government will be prepared to give full publicity to the reasons which are preventing the Household Cavalry wearing full dress at the wedding of Princess Elizabeth and Lieutenant Mount-batten, in view of the fact that photographs have appeared in the Press showing the Household Cavalry wearing full dress in a forthcoming British film, and that this has given rise to a certain amount of misunderstanding?
§ LORD NATHANMy Lords, I must say that that does not seem to me to arise naturally out of the question which was put by the noble Viscount, but I will certainly look into the matter.