HC Deb 16 April 1946 vol 421 c400W
74. Mrs. Middleton

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he is aware that admission fees are being required for C.E.M.A. entertainments from those who are serving in the British Army of Occupation in Austria; that, while officers and men pay the same admission fee, the best seats are reserved for officers and the men can only have what are left after the officers have taken their choice; that a soldier has been put on a charge for occupying a seat reserved for an officer; and whether he will take steps to have a stop put to this practice.

Mr. Lawson:

Admission charges for entertainment are now made in all the major overseas commands except S.E.A.C. For disciplinary and administrative reasons, officers and other ranks are allocated separate blocks of seats at entertainments in many overseas commands but a reasonable proportion of the higher priced seats would normally be allotted to other ranks. I am not aware of any instance in which the allocation has been otherwise than fair but if my hon. Friend will give me details of any case she has in mind, I will look into it