Captain BENNasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he has received a request from the British Legion for a grant towards a village settlement scheme for tubercular ex-service men, and a second request that ex-service men should be given the preference for employment in any scheme guaranteed under the Trade Facilities Act; and what answer he has returned?
§ Mr. BALDWINI have received a telegraphic demand that £1,000,000 out of the surplus realised on last financial year should be applied to this purpose. As I2298W explained in my Budget statement, the surplus has already been applied to redemption of debt, and is not now available. The question whether Government assistance should be given towards these experimental settlements has been repeatedly under the consideration of successive Ministers of Health, and I understand that my right hon. Friend is shortly receiving a deputation on the question. As regards the second part of the question, I would refer to the answer given yesterday by my hon. Friend the Financial Secretary to my hon. and gallant Friend the Member for Reading (Major Cadogan).