§ DR. TANNER (Cork Co., Mid)asked the Secretary of State for War, If it is a fact that a General Order has recently been issued to officers of the Army Medical Staff Corps restricting the height of recruits for the Corps to the minimum of 5 feet 3 inches; whether an important portion of the duty allocated to the men of the said Corps is to act as litter bearers for the purpose of carrying the wounded men out of action; and, what was the previous minimum standard of height for recruits?
§ THE SECRETARY OF STATE (Mr. E. STANHOPE) (Lincolnshire, Horncastle)The standard of height of recruits for all the Departmental Corps has been fixed at from 5 feet 3 inches to 5 feet 5 inches. The object of this restriction is to tap, for these non-combatant corps, a stratum of the population of good and often powerful physique. It is not apprehended that there will be any difficulty as to bearers. The previous minimum height was 5 feet 4 inches.