Lieutenant - Commander NORMAN CRAIGasked the Under-Secretary of State for War whether His Majesty's Government purpose to erect a laundry or laundries at Manstone and/or Stonar, or at any place in Thanet; whether at present washing for the troops is being done at the rate of 7d. per bundle by existing laundries; whether he is aware that by this means alone these laundries, deprived under war conditions in Thanet of their pre-war sources of custom, continue to carry on their business; whether he realises that the erection of Government laundries in Thanet will involve the ruin of these existing laundries, and that this policy is calculated to increase the difficulties under which industries in Thanet labour; and whether, if Government custom is to be withdrawn, the question of requisitioning and turning to account existing laundries will be considered as a desirable alternative to erecting new laundries and reducing to ruin the existing establishments?
§ Mr. MACPHERSONSo far as I am aware, there is no proposal to erect Government laundries in Thanet, and the remainder of my hon. Friend's question does not, therefore, arise.