§ GENERAL SIR GEORGE BALFOURasked the Secretary of State for War, If he will endeavour to make clear, in the Revised Statements of the Regimental Establishments which have been promised to be laid upon the Table, the numbers and grades of the seconded and supernumerary officers and their cost, so as to remove the doubts which may naturally be created of more officers being thus provided, in order to make good the numbers which are struck off the fixed establishment with corps?
§ MR. CHILDERSSir, I have had great difficulty in understanding my hon. and gallant Friend's Question; but if he means to ask whether there will be any supernumerary regimental officers on the 1st of July next, when the new establishments will commence, I must answer in the affirmative; and as to seconded officers, I hope to keep the number down as much as possible, but there always must be many. It is prac- 551 tically impossible to estimate the exact number on the 1st July; but I will give, at the right time, an approximate detail.