§ Mr. Trotterasked the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what economies he considers will be made as part of the Government's defence cuts by better husbandry of clothes; and whether the wearing of darned, patched and mended 167W uniforms is conductive to the good appearance and morale of the British Service men vis-à-vis the United Kingdom's NATO allies;
(2) what instructions are being issued concerning the patching of soldier's worn woollen jerseys so as to economise on new kit as a result of the Government's defence cuts;
(3) how much longer a pair of soldier's socks are expected to last through additional darning as a result of the Government's defence cuts reducing expenditure on kit;
(4) whether the policy for good husbandry by darning, patching and mending kit applies equally to the Guards and other troops on public duty.
§ Mr. Robert C. BrownService uniforms and other clothing currently cost about £50 million a year, and it is, therefore, in the public interest that Service men should be given adequate instructions on looking after their kit. In particular, soldiers and their wives are being given advice on looking after the Service man's wardrobe, because higher standards of care will save the soldier money. There will also be a small saving to the public purse, mainly in reduced administrative effort. The aim is to produce an even smarter soldier, not soldiers in patched or darned uniforms, either on public duties or with NATO, and the individual Service man will be helped to avoid unnecessary expense.