HL Deb 15 November 1910 vol 6 cc677-80
THE DUKE OF BEDFORD

My Lords, I beg to ask the noble Lord the Under-Secretary of State for War the Questions standing in my name on the Paper—

  1. 1. The total number of non-commissioned officers and men serving in the 678 Regular Army in the United Kingdom on the 30th September, 1908.
  2. 2. The number of the above under 20 years of age.
  3. 3. The rate per cent. which must be allowed for casualties on mobilisation for men serving with the Colours, over 20 years of age.
  4. 4. The number of men who will leave the United Kingdom as drafts during the Trooping Season of 1910–1911.
  5. 5. The establishment of the First Class of the Army Reserve in 1910.
  6. 6. The estimated strength of the First Class of the Army Reserve in 1913.
  7. 7. The number of Army Reservists who are at present residing out of the United Kingdom.
  8. 8. The number of combatant Army Reservists who have undertaken the obligation to serve on mobilisation with the Reserve of the Army Medical Corps.
  9. 9. The total deficiencies of non-commissioned officers and men in the Special Contingent. Is it the intention to make good such deficiencies from the Army Reserve, or to leave the Expeditionary Force incomplete on mobilisation in respect of the Special Contingent.
  10. 10. The number of non-commissioned officers and men required to form two Mounted Brigades according to the War Establishment, 1910.
  11. 11. The number of non-commissioned officers and men required for the Regular Mounted Infantry in place of the Non-Regular Cavalry for the six Infantry Divisions, as scheduled in Table 1 of Army Memorandum of 8th April, 1907.
  12. 12. The number of Regular Reservists required to bring up to war establishment the Regular Artillery, Cavalry, and Infantry not included in the Expeditionary- Force, but retained at home for the defence of the United Kingdom.
  13. 13. The rate per cent, which must be allowed for casualties on the mobilisation of the First Class Army Reserve.
  14. 14. The estimated strength of Section D, the second class of the Army Reserve in 1913.
  15. 15. The minimum and the maximum periods during which a man in the second class of the Army Reserve enlisted under the three-years term of enlistment will have been absent from 679 the Colours, excluding those who complete 12 years of Colour service.
  16. 16. The rate per cent. it is necessary to allow for casualties in the second class of the Army Reserve on mobilisation.
  17. 17. In the event of the mobilisation of the Regular Army for foreign service, will any men in the Second Class of the Army Reserve, Section D, and any men in the Special Reserve be required to proceed abroad with the Expeditionary Force in order to complete the numbers scheduled. in Table 1 of Army Memorandum, 8th April, 1907, plus two Mounted Brigades since added to the Expeditionary Force by statement of the Secretary of State for War on 27th June, 1910.

THE UNDER-SECRETARY OF STATE FOR WAR (LORD LUCAS)

My Lords, the answers to the noble Duke's Questions are as follow: To Question 1, the answer is 118,814; to Question 2, 32,970; to Question 3, ten per cent.; to Question 4, 13,603; to Question 5, 138,000—that is the number taken in the Army Estimates, and it covers Section D; there is no separate estimate for Sections A and B. The answer to Question 6 is 131,267, made up of 106,372 Sections A and B, and 24,895 Section D. The reply to Question 7 is 7,198, and to Question 8, 1,739 (on November 5, 1910). In the first part of Question 9 the noble Duke asks for the total deficiencies of non-commissioned officers and men in the Special Contingent. The number is 6,622. With regard to the second part of Question 9, the deficiencies will be made up in various ways according to what seems best at the time; they will probably be made up out of Reservists who are surplus for mobilisation purposes to other arms, by special enlistment, and in ways of that kind. To Question 10, the answer is 5,765; to Question 11, 2,016; to Question 12, 3,729; to Question 13, ten per cent. With regard to Question 14, 24,895 is the estimated strength of Section D provided it is kept open the whole time. Section D is not the second class of the Army Reserve; it is now always classed in the first class of the Army Reserve. In reply to Question 15, assuming that Section D is meant, the period of absence of the three-years man will normally be—minimum nine years, maximum thirteen years. Men of certain special trades, such as farriers, saddlers, who are permitted to re-engage in Section D, may be longer away from the Colours—maximum, seventeen years. The same applies to men of the Royal Horse Artillery, Royal Field Artillery, Cavalry, and Army Service Corps who are permitted to re-engage. The reply to Question 16 is, ten per cent. As to Question 17, I cannot give the noble Duke the actual numbers of Section D that will be required. But the number of Special Reservists required will be 15,175, made up of Irish Horse, 336; Royal Field Artillery, 5,046; Royal Engineers, 1,257; Army Service Corps, 5,808; Royal Army Medical Corps, 2,201; and Army Veterinary Corps, 527.