§ Sir JOSEPH DAVIESasked the Secretary for War whether he is aware of the discontent existing in the Royal Ordnance Corps owing to the excessive hours being worked in France; and what stops he proposes to take to reduce the same?
§ Mr. CHURCHILLI am not aware of any reason for discontent beyond the general desire on the part of all services to get back to normal conditions. All possible steps are being taken to reduce the working hours of the Royal Army Ordnance Corps in France and elsewhere to the minimum necessary for carrying out302W essential work. It must be remembered that the work of the ancillary services bears a direct relation to the rate at which general demobilisation can be carried out. The Royal Army Ordnance Corps has to dual with an immense quantity of valuable Government property, and unless its economic handling and disposal have to be unduly protracted, no small demands must be made upon the officers and men concerned.