§ MR. WHALLEYasked the Under Secretary of State for the Colonies, with reference to the state of affairs in South Africa, Whether, in the event of officers or men of the Reserve Forces or others volunteering to serve in South Africa, on the invitation of the Colonial authorities and in pursuance of arrangements by the Government, such service would be recognised so far as to provide for such volunteers a free passage to and from the Colony?
§ MR. J. LOWTHERNo application for service of the kind alluded to by the hon. Gentleman has been made to the Colonial Office. I would, however, point out that there are two distinct classes of force serving in the Colonies of South Africa—the colonial forces, which are recruited and maintained at the cost of each colony, with whose Government arrangements with regard to passages would have to be made by persons wishing to join such forces; and the contingent of British troops to which, of course, the hon. Gentleman's Question cannot apply.