§ 100. Commander Purseyasked the Secretary of State for War if, before the Committee stage of the Royal Patriotic Fund Corporation Bill, he will arrange for the latest annual report of the Corporation to be published by the Stationery Office as a printed Parliamentary Paper, showing details of the staff and salaries at headquarters, Sackville Street, Piccadilly, London, W.1, and at the Royal Victoria Patriotic Orphanage, Bedwell Park, Hatfield, Hertfordshire, so that hon. Members may have the same information about the Corporation, the Soldiers' Effects Fund and the orphanage, as the Ministers dealing with the Bill.
§ Mr. StracheyThe latest annual report of the Royal Patriotic Fund Corporation to be published is that for the year 1948. As the stock of copies is practically exhausted, I have ordered 100 copies to be reproduced. They will be made available in the Vote Office in about a week's time. The accounts appended to the Report show the amount expended on the salaries of staff both at the Headquarters office and at the Royal Victoria Patriotic School. The numbers of staff and their respective salaries are at the discretion of the Corporation under paragraph 12 of the First Schedule to the Patriotic Fund Re-organisation Act, 1903, and I am unable to add to the information disclosed in the accounts. The annual report and accounts for the year 1949 will not be published until about the end of August next.
§ 101. Commander Purseyasked the Secretary of State for War if he will state the names and ranks of the General 38W Council of the Royal Patriotic Fund Corporation, the Government Departments and charitable or other organisations represented; and indicate those who attended the annual meeting in July, 1948, and any other meeting during that year.
§ Mr. StracheyThe names and appointments of the members of the General Council of the Royal Patriotic Fund Corporation, and the organisations, if any, which they represent, are given at the beginning of the report of which copies are to be made available. The names of those who attended the annual meeting of the General Council on 15th July, 1948, are shown in the printed report of the proceedings of that meeting. Copies of that report will be made available at the same time as the copies of the annual report for 1948. There was only one meeting of the General Council in 1948.
§ 102. Commander Purseyasked the Secretary of State for War if he will state for the year 1948 the total cost from the several Royal Patriotic Fund Corporation funds, of the Royal Victoria Patriotic Orphanage, Bedwell Park, Hatfield, Hertfordshire, and the amount of State pensions received; the number of girls accommodated; between what ages; and the average total cost per girl for that year.
§ Mr. StracheyFigures showing the total cost of the Royal Victoria Patriotic School for the year 1948, the amount of State pensions received and the number of girls accommodated will be found in the accounts which will be made available with the annual report for that year. On the basis of the figures in that account, the total cost of the school for the year including expenses of management, but excluding capital expenditure, was approximately £10,500. The amount of State pensions received was approximately £1,150. The number of girls accommodated was 63. The average cost per girl for that year was thus approximately £167.