§ Mr. PERKINSasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Agriculture whether he is aware that the original application for permission to use the miniature rifle range at Lyndhurst was made by the local post of the Comrades of the Great War, who are all ex-soldiers; whether the range at the workmen's club, offered as an alternative, is private property, is not accessible to the general public, and will shortly be demolished; whether the sand-pit in which the Government range is situated is not used as a playground by children; and whether, under these circumstances, he can see his way to reconsider the refusal of the Ministry to allow to the people of Lyndhurst a facility which has been accorded to other Forest villages, and to which Lyndhurst has as good a claim?
Sir ARTHUR BOSCAWENThe original application was in the form of a letter from two private individuals addressed to the head of the local post of the Comrades of the Great War and transmitted to the Commissioners of Woods by the Secretary of the Comrades who stated that the latter did not desire to have the range. The range at the workmen's club belongs to the club, but a large proportion of the Comrades of the Great War are already members of the club. There is also a proposal on foot for the post to amalgamate with and share the same promises as the club in which case every comrade would acquire the right to use the range, which is a true miniature range and very well equipped. It is understood that there is no intention of demolishing the range. The sand-pit in which the field firing range was put up is used as a playground for children, and will continue to be so used. This range was, as an emergency measure during the War, used for training soldiers for field firing. It consisted only of a 2065W sand bag trench and a butt made of sand bags and sand and was very dangerous. The decision not to maintain it cannot be altered.