§ Mr. S. Shephardasked the Secretary of State for War the amount of the financial grants made to T.A. areas for the renovation and enlargement of existing drill halls for the first quarter of this year; and what further financial grant for the same purpose is to be made for the remainder of the year.
§ Mr. ShinwellFigures are not available in the form asked for. Financial grants are made to Territorial and Auxiliary Forces Associations annually for the maintenance of Territorial Army property, which may be accumulated, to the extent that they are not required for current maintenance, for the building up of a maintenance reserve fund. The grants made during the current financial year total approximately £300,000, but in addition supplementary grants amounting to some £82,000 have been made to Associations whose reserve funds were not adequate to meet exceptionally heavy expenditure on renovations. The amount of expenditure from the reserve funds in excess of the current year's grants will not be known until the Associations' financial returns for the current financial year are received in July next. Provision made in Army Estimates, 1948–49, is sufficient to cover a further grant of not less than £300,000 during the coming 159W financial year. Expenditure upon the enlargement of existing headquarters is not separately recorded, but in present circumstances, additions to accommodation are provided by means of hutting rather than by enlargement of existing buildings.