HC Deb 24 February 1880 vol 250 cc1296-7
MR. HOPWOOD

asked the Secretary of State for War, Whether it be the fact that Officers of the Staff in the recent wars in Zululand and Afghanistan have acted, or are acting, as paid correspondents to newspapers in the United Kingdom; is such employment undertaken with the approval of the General Commanding or of the authorities here or in India; if not, whether any Despatch or Memorandum, censuring or prohibiting such a practice, has been issued to the service here or in India by the Secretary of State for War, or H. R. H. Commanding in Chief; and, whether any formal repeal or cancelling of the Regulations of Correspondents in the Field "provisionally sanctioned," has been issued by the Secretary of State for War, or H. R. H. Commanding in Chief; and, if so, on what dates or dates have such Despatches or Memoranda been issued, and will he be kind enough to lay Copies upon the Table?

COLONEL STANLEY

I have seen it stated that officers of the Staff have acted as correspondents of newspapers in Zululand; but I have no information on the subject. With reference to their having so acted in Afghanistan, that, I believe, was stated in a despatch of General Roberts; but, as I explained in answer to a Question which had been put, the Queen's Regulations are drawn up at home, and have no force in India. The employment of officers in such capacity had not, so far as I am aware, been undertaken with the approval of the authorities here. A Memorandum prohibit- ing such a practice has been issued by the Commander-in-Chief, and circulated among all general officers. This was of a recent date, about the end of last month, or the commencement of this. With regard to the formal repeal of the Regulations as to correspondents which are stated to be "provisionally sanctioned," I can say that, inasmuch as no Regulations have been issued, there have been none to cancel, so far as the War Department or Commander-in-Chief are concerned.

MR. HOPWOOD

asked if the right hon. and gallant Gentleman would produce copies of the Memorandum he had mentioned?

COLONEL STANLEY

said, he did not think the production of the Memorandum could add anything to the information of the House.