§ MR. GOURLEYasked the Secretary of State for War, If the rule exists that medical officers of the Army who from the effects of climate are invalided home before completing their term of service, are after the expiration of their sick leave placed on temporary half-pay, if declared by a medical board to be unfit to resume their appointments abroad; and if such is the regulation, whether, owing to the reduced state of the Army medical department and the heavy strain recently put upon it, a considerable saving of public money might not be effected by employing such officers as might be found fit by a medical board on home service?
§ COLONEL STANLEYMedical officers who have been invalided home are, by the Regulations, placed on temporary half-pay for six months, and if they are then found unable to return to their stations are placed on the permanent list. It would not be for the good of the Service to employ those officers who are temporarily incapacitated to fill up vacancies abroad; but as regards the employment of such officers at home, it is contemplated so to employ officers on permanent half-pay in certain stations where their services can be utilized.