§ MR. M'CARTAN (Down, S.)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for War whether he is aware that officers of the Army Medical Staff having servants from the Medical Staff Corps are obliged to make up their departmental pay, about 15s. monthly, in addition to the sum laid down in the Queen's Regulations as applicable to officers of other corps; and if he will take steps to place the officers of the Army Medical Staff on an equality with other officers, regarding soldier servants?
§ MR. CAMPBELL-BANNERMANOfficers of the Army Medical Staff are allowed the privilege of employing men of their own corps as servants, but they are not required to employ them, and may receive the same money allowance in lieu as is issuable to staff and other departmental officers. If they choose to employ a soldier of the Medical Staff Corps they have to make up to the man the corps pay, which is only issuable by the public when he is employed on corps duty. The same rule as to corps pay applies to officers of other departmental corps; and as there is some difficulty in providing soldier servants for regimental officers, it is not considered desirable to withdraw soldiers from their regiments to act as servants to officers of other corps or of departments.