HC Deb 09 May 1881 vol 261 cc18-9
MR. FITZPATRICK

asked the Secretary of State for War, Whether, under the new warrant, senior Captains who are now forty years of age will be promoted to the rank of Major (substantive) on 1st of July, or whether they will be compelled to retire on that day?

MR. CHILDERS

Sir, in reply to the hon. Member I have to state that there are several classes of captains of 40 years of age, and that, without entering into much detail, I could not explain how they will be dealt with. But, as a general rule, I think that an officer proposed to be promoted and liable to retire as a captain on the same day would probably be promoted.

LIEUT.-COLONEL MILNE-HOME

asked the Secretary of State for War, If the Regulations intended to take effect on the 1st July 1881 will preserve to all officers who have wholly or partially purchase rights the same pecuniary advantages on retirement that are given by the Warrant of 1878; and, also, if his attention has been called to the apparent anomaly under that Warrant of officers who may, in certain instances, lose by promotion in respect of retiring pension, and if he will in the forthcoming Warrant provide against the recurrence of such cases?

MR. CHILDERS

Sir, I do not know the particular case which the hon. and gallant Member has in view; but, speaking generally, the effect of the proposed changes will be that all Purchase officers will retain on retirement the pecuniary advantages given them under the present Warrant. If the hon. and gallant Gentleman is aware of any special case which would form an exception to this rule, under the system I have explained in the Memorandum laid before Parliament, it shall be considered by the Committee who are dealing with the new Warrant. If the second part of the hon. and gallant Member's Question refers to the principle of the Warrant of 1877, under which inducements were given to officers to retire in their then existing ranks, and which he calls an apparent anomaly, I can only say that I find that this so-called anomaly was a very deliberate decision by my Predecessor on the Report of the Royal Commission, where the reasons fur it are fully given; and I am not prepared to disturb it.