§ MR. W. WHITELAWI beg to ask the Secretary of State for War whether there is any recognised limit to the amount of foreign service which a regiment has to perform without any intervening home service; and, if so, what is the limit?
§ MR. CAMPBELL-BANNERMANThere is not, and there cannot be, any specified limit. Battalions are sent abroad according to a roster, and they return home, as far as possible, in the same order. The usual practice is to relieve four battalions yearly, and there are 70 abroad; so that the tour of foreign 804 service would be, as regards the headquarters of the battalion, about 17 years, The service abroad of an individual is of course, much shorter. The formation of territorial regiments somewhat disturbed the roster; but it is gradually recovering its proper order.