CAPTAIN HEATHCOTEI beg to ask the Secretary of State for War whether H.R.H. the Commander-in-Chief, when he refused leave to the Royal Artillery Band to attend the fête at Madeley, on the ground of its insignificant character, was aware that this fête is the principal annual holiday of a large and populous district, and that it is usually attended by upwards of 20,000 people; if he will state on how many of the 23 occasions on which H.R.H. the Commander-in-Chief has, since June, 1885, broken his rule as to this band not playing outside its own district the audience has exceeded 20,000; and if he will bring these facts under the notice of H.R.H. the Commander-in-Chief, in order that he may be induced to reconsider his decision?
*MR. STANHOPEI am afraid I am not in a position to compare the claims of the various places to which this band has been asked to go. Some care is necessary in order to insure that bands shall always be available for strictly military purposes; but as regards the rule now in force, I have been in communication with the Commander-in-Chief, and he tells me that he proposes to reconsider the whole subject very carefully.