§ MR. ROSSasked the Secretary of State for War, If he will state what were the proposals formulated in the War Office for the improvement of the Quartermasters' position in regard to Payrank and Retiring Pension, and submitted to Her Majesty's Treasury for approval; and also, with regard to the proposed now Rule, whereby the tenure of Good Service Pension is to terminate on retirement, whether the hardships such now Rule would inflict on many old and deserving Quartermasters, whose names have been on the Commander-in-Chief's list for years, will be considered, and the new Rule made applicable only after the present list of candidates is provided for?
§ MR. CHILDERSSir, the hon. Member will find our proposals about the pay and pensions of quartermasters at page 6 of the Memorandum I recently laid on the Table. I have no idea what the hon. Member means by the composite word "pay-rank;" but we propose to give to quartermasters after 10 years' 1244 service as such the rank of captain, and on retirement on £200 a-year that of major. In reply to the second Question of the hon. Member, I have to state that the rule forbidding good-service rewards to be taken into retirement is not intended to apply to quartermasters.