asked the Minister for Defence if he will state the total amount of funds the property of members of (a) officers' messes, and (b) sergeants' messes, appropriated by the Department of Defence on the closing down of these messes on the termination of the emergency, and if he will say what became of these funds.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Army Mess Funds.
(1) Funds of the messes which were disbanded at the end of the emergency have not been appropriated by the Department of Defence.
(2) These funds, after grants had been made to other messes and for various miscellaneous purposes, were transferred to suspense accounts operated at each command headquarters under the control of the general officer commanding or other officer commanding the command concerned.
(3) From these funds certain sums have since been disbursed by way of grant to messes to provide amenities for Reserve officers and N.C.O.s whilst accommodated in these messes during periods of annual training.
(4) The total funds transferred to the suspense accounts on the disbandment of messes amounted to £527 11s. in the case of officers' messes and £1,171 11s. 9d. in the case of N.C.O.s' messes. The sums since disbursed up to 31st December, 1948, by way of grant to existing messes amounted to £133 7s. 11d. in the case of officers' messes and to £93 16s. in the case of N.C.O.s' messes. The balances in the suspense accounts on 31st December, 1948, amounted respectively to £405 0s. 5d. and £1,096 9s. 8d.
(5) Accounts for the current year have not yet been audited and details of disbursements for this year are not, therefore, available.