MR. PRICEasked the Secretary of State for War, Whether it is true that repeated applications have been made to the Military authorities at home that, inasmuch as the 61st regiment was considerably under its proper establishment of subalterns, the vacancies might he supplied by the posting of supernumerary subalterns of the 28th regiment, its linked battalion, which was considerably in excess of its establishment of subalterns; whether it is true that at the time the 61st regiment was four subalterns below its establishment, and that in addition one subaltern was detailed on police duty at Cyprus without being seconded, one subaltern was superintendent of gymnasia at Malta, and consequently struck off duty, and one under orders to be transferred to a regiment in India; whether four officers 23 were eventually transferred from the 28th. to the 61st, and whether, at the same time that the transfer was notified, it was also notified that the four officers so transferred would still continue to do duty with the 28th whether it is not a fact that the transfer has been made upon paper only; and, if he can state why the excess in the one regiment has not been utilised to supply the deficiency in the other linked battalion, especially as the 28th is serving in England and the 61st in the trying climate of Malta?
§ COLONEL STANLEYwas understood to say that, owing to the proposal that a Committee should be appointed to inquire into Army organization, it was not required that the officers who were to be transferred from the 28th to the 61st Regiment should be transferred unless vacancies occurred in that corps meanwhile. From that answer it was plain that the transfer had been on paper only.