§ MR. ANDERSONasked the First Lord of the Admiralty, Whether he has had a medical survey on the five Marine officers who were unable to go with the battalion to South Africa, and if the result has been to retire only three of them, and to retain two on the active list; whether, as regards foreign service such as the South African, these two are suffering only from temporary disability, or whether they are for the future fit only for home service; and, if it be the fact that one of these two has been allowed to gain a lieutenant colonelcy through the compulsory retirement of another of the five surveyed?
§ MR. W. H. SMITHIt is true that a medical survey was held on five officers reported unfit. The Medical Board reported three as unfit for general service, and two as fit. As regards one of the two officers, there can be no doubt his disability was not of a character to render him unfit for general service, but was of a temporary character only; and as regards the second officer the discrepancy between the report of the medical officer who declared him to be unfit and the Medical Board who de- 1406 clared him to be fit will be matter for further investigation and consideration. Pending the decision of the Board of Admiralty, the promotion of the second officer to the lieutenant colonelcy will not be made.