§ VISCOUNT WOLMER (Hants, Petersfield)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for War whether he can state for the information of the House what was the average number of nights a week in bed, during the months of May and June, 1890, for soldiers of the Brigade of Foot Guards stationed in London (exclusive of those at the Tower) and who were on the roster of their battalions for sentry duty; and how many soldiers of the Brigade of Foot Guards, who were stationed in London during the year 1890, were invalided out of the Army on account of pulmonary disease?
§ THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR WAR (Mr. E. STANHOPE, Lincolnshire, Horncastle)During May and June, 1890, privates of the Foot Guards stationed in London (exclusive of those at the Tower) averaged 5.8 nights a week in bed. At this time one battalion 1926 was at Pirbright, so that sentry duty fell entirely on three battalions. I may be allowed to explain that the military expression "nights in bed" does not mean so many nights a week, but that the men sleeps in barracks for that number consecutively before being out for one night on sentry duty. The figures given by the General commanding for May and June are thus—4.94 and 4.87 respectively. Since the months named by the noble Lord, the number of sentries has, as I have already stated, been reduced, and the proportion of nights in bed has, of course, been correspondingly increased. Twenty-four soldiers of the Foot Guards stationed in London were invalided during 1890 for pulmonary disease.