asked the Secretary of State for Defence on what grounds his Department is refusing to pass on to the owners of furnished hirings the 50 per cent. increase in rent which is being charged to tenants.

The rent paid for each Ministry of Defence furnished hiring is decided as a result of an agreement freely arrived at between the owner as landlord and the Ministry of Defence as tenant. Quartering charges, on the other hand, which cover items other than rent, are recommended by the Pay Review Body. It follows, therefore, that quartering charges paid by the occupants are not related to the terms of the agreement between the Ministry of Defence and the landlord.