§ SIR HARRY VERNEYasked the Secretary of State for War, to inform the House what are the intentions of the Government with regard to campaign manœuvres of the Army during the autumn; whether in each military district there is to be a separate Corps d'Armée consisting of limited numbers, but perfect in itself, combining each arm and department of the whole force of the Country, the Regular Army, the Militia, and the Volunteers, and capable of rapid expansion and increase in case 1415 of need; whether, if such Divisions of the Army are formed, means will be adopted to give to the men industrial occupation as well as military training, and to the officers professional instruction; and, whether there will be a General Officer commanding each Division, whose duty it will be to ascertain the capacity of the officers under his command, and so to aid the Commander in Chief in the duty of selection?
§ SIR HENRY STORKSIt is intended, Sir, that as soon as the harvest is over a force of about 30,000 men, of whom at least one-half will be Regulars, and the rest Militia, Yeomanry, and Volunteers, shall be assembled at Aldershot, and marched to Lockinge, in Berkshire, in which neighbourhood military manœuvres will be practised, the whole to occupy about a fortnight. It is intended that in each military district the Militia, the Yeomanry, and the Volunteers shall be trained as far as possible in combination with the Regular forces from time to time quartered in that district. The localization of the Regular forces will be carried as far as the circumstances and service of the British Army permit. It is intended to give the private soldier industrial occupation, and the officer professional instruction. There will be a General Officer commanding each Military Division, and it will be his duty to report upon the capacity of the officers under his command.