GENERAL PEELsaid, he rose to ask the Secretary of State for War, What decision the Government have arrived at with regard to the Military Reserve Fund?
SIR GEORGE LEWISsaid, the decision which had, with the concurrence of the Commander-in-Chief been arrived at, was that in future Officers retiring from the Army should not as a matter of right be entitled to the £100 for each year's active service which, in accordance with the present practice, they received; but that each individual case should be considered on its merits, the services of an Officer and the circumstances under which he left the Army being taken into account. If, for example, he should have left owing to ill health contracted during active service, there would in that event be a discretionary power of granting the £100 for each year. It was also intended that first commissions should be granted as far as possible to non-purchase regiments.