§ MR. DUNBARasked the Under Secretary of State for India, Whether the Secretary of State has taken or will take into consideration "the conditions and rates of the retiring pensions of officers of the old Indian Ordnance Corps," as suggested by the Commissioners on Army Promotion and Retirement at page 32 of their Report; whether he proposes to take any and what steps to ensure "to these officers, as far as may be, an equality in this respect with those of the other branches of the service;" whether he will adopt, as far as may be the plan proposed to be adopted (subject to the sanction of the Treasury) by the Secretary of State for War, which that right honourable Gentleman has stated would proceed generally on the lines recommended by the Commissioners, or what other steps he proposes to take in the matter; and, if he has determined on any plan to secure that the flow of promotion in these Corps should be such as to ensure efficiency which the Commissioners had reported was essential?
§ LORD GEORGE HAMILTONSir, the subject to which the hon. Gentleman's Question refers is under the consideration of the Secretary of State for India. It is a question of some complexity, and before any decision is arrived at by the Secretary of State for India he must consult the War Office, and also be in possession of the views of the Indian Government. I am, therefore, at the present moment unable to give definite 896 replies to the various parts of the Question of the hon. Member.