§ Colonel ASHLEYasked the Secretary to the Admiralty how many officers and petty officers of His Majesty's Navy were in receipt of lodging and provision allowances on 1st July, 1914; and how many were receiving similar allowances on 1st April, 1918?
§ Dr. MACNAMARAThe information desired by my hon. and gallant Friend could only be prepared at the cost of a very great amount of labour, which, in the present conditions of pressure, would scarcely be justified. I trust that in the circumstances he will not press for the preparations of these statistics, but will accept my assurance that officers and men are not placed on lodging and provision allowances without careful consideration in each instance. If my hon. and gallant Friend—of course, I may be wrong here—is under the impression that officers and men are under any circumstances deliberately and for no other reason put upon a scale of allowances simply because those scales are less advantageous to the recipients and more advantageous to the public purse, I can assure him that his impression is entirely unfounded.
§ Colonel ASHLEYasked the Financial Secretary to the War Office how many officers and men were in receipt of allowances in lieu of board and lodging on 1st July, 1914, and how many were receiving similar allowances on 1st April, 1918?
§ Mr. FORSTERI am afraid that this information is not available, and it could not be obtained without much labour, which I hope my hon. and gallant Friend will not press me to undertake.