§ 33 and 34. Mr. Caryasked the Secretary of State for War (1) whether his attention has been drawn to the conditions governing the commissioning and promotion of Army officers in war time, in which no distinction is made between years spent on active service and years of normal peace-time routine; that eight years for promotion to captain and 17 years for promotion to major is an unfair margin of time in present conditions and that serious 939 injustice is likely to be done to many officers of the Regular Army Reserve of Officers, particularly those who have seen active service between the years 1914 and 1920; and whether he will take steps immediately to alter the present conditions;
(2) whether he will consider the advisability of reducing to five years and 10 years respectively, the time-serving condition of eight years for promotion to captain and 17 years for promotion to major which now applies to all officers of the Regular Army and the Regular Army Reserve of Officers?
§ Sir V. WarrenderSubstantive promotion during the war will be confined to the Regular Army, and, in their case, the existing rules for time promotion to captain and major will continue to apply. These rules do not apply to the Regular Army Reserve of Officers. Vacancies in war establishments will be filled by acting promotions, which will, after various qualifying periods, be confirmed into temporary rank and confer upon the officer war substantive rank one grade lower than the temporary rank. This will apply to all officers, who will be selected for such promotion by merit.