§ MR. MELDONasked the Secretary of State for War, Whether, under the late Administration, when the Army Medical Department was being reorganised, a promise was not made that, in future, exchanges between medical officers would be allowed under the same regulations as for the rest of the Service, if such a regulation was adopted; whether a rule has lately been introduced that, in cases where such exchanges involve change of station, the officers exchanging shall forfeit all claim for pay for the period they occupy in changing; whether all other officers in the Army exchanging under similar circumstances continue to receive their pay without any stoppage; whether the regulation now in force placing medical officers on a different footing from other officers is not highly calculated to make the Army Medical Service unpopular; and, whether he will take steps to have the regulations as to exchange so modified as to carry out the promise made?
§ MR. CHILDERSSir, in reply to the hon. and learned Gentleman, I have to say that I cannot find any record of a promise having been given by my Predecessor such as his Question implies; and I may state that no Order of any description has been given on the subject since I took Office. If, however, he will privately point out to me the promise to which he refers, I will look carefully into the whole question, which has not come before me in any shape.