§ Colonel DAYasked the Secretary of State for Air the total amount of the sums received and credited to non-public accounts in respect of fees received from 285W tradesmen permitted to establish themselves on encroachments within Air Force cantonment areas for trading purposes in Iraq; and what action has been taken in this matter?
§ Sir S. HOAREThe question of the hon. and gallant Member no doubt refers to paragraph 18 of the Report of the Comptroller and Accountant-General on Air Services Appropriation Account. In the case to which the Comptroller and Accountant-General refers, a combined fee had been charged to the tradesmen for the use of sites or accommodation on ground belonging to the Royal Air Force, and for the privilege of supplying commodities to the troops, a proportion being credited to public funds as rent and the balance paid to non-public accounts exactly as in the case of the rebate given by the N.A.A.F.I. A new system is being adopted as from 1st April, 1926, by which payments made by the tradesmen for rent, light and water will be credited to public funds, white the element of rebate on purchases is dealt with separately between the tradesmen and the units. A complete record of these fees is not available, and I am not in a position to state the total amount credited to non-public funds.