§ MR. HENNIKER HEATONI beg to ask the Secretary of State for India—(1) whether he has any objection to lay upon the Table of the House the recommendations made by the Government of India in order to prevent the supersession of Staff Corps officers by those in the Line; (2) will he explain why certain officers of the Staff Corps, who entered the Army as Sub-Lieutenants, are denied the privilege accorded to all others of counting service out of India before joining the Staff Corps to an extent not exceeding 670 two years, although the duties performed by these Sub-Lieutenants were identical with those performed by other officers of that rank who have been allowed to count all their service from date of first commission, and although all the officers who entered the Staff Corps from the Royal Marines have been granted the above-mentioned privilege; and, (3) whether he is prepared to consider the advisability of allowing every officer to count towards pension all his service out of India before joining the Staff Corps, to an extent not exceeding two years?
§ THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR INDIA (Lord GEORGE HAMILTON,) Middlesex, BalingI have no objection to lay upon the Table of the House the Papers regarding the supersession of Staff Corps officers by those of the Line. As regards the second part of my hon. Friend's question, I may explain that although officers who join the Staff Corps from British regiments are allowed to reckon two years' service out of India for Indian pension, such service, being out of India, is governed by the rules of the War Office. The service of the officers to whom my hon. Friend refers was service on a temporary commission, which, under War Office rules, does not reckon for pension. I see no reason for altering the rules on this subject.