MR. HERBERT ROBERTS (Denbighshire, W.)I beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for War whether he can state approximately the number of Volunteer officers who could have entered in 1896 for the examination in tactics, field fortification, military topography, organisation and equipment, and military law, in accordance with paragraph 356 in the Volunteer Regulations, 1896, of which only three officers passed that year; whether, in future, he will give instructions that the Return of Volunteer officers who pass this examination shall each year appear in the Army 917 Orders; and whether, according to the Regulations referred to, a Volunteer officer who has passed in all the subjects of the examination named in 1896, but has failed in any one of the subjects on a previous occasion, is disqualified from holding the distinction conferred upon him by such merit; and, if so, whether, in view of the desirability of encouraging Volunteer officers to become efficient, he will advise the Amendment of the paragraph in the Regulations which imposes this disability?
§ THE UNDER SECRETARY OF STATE FOR WAR (Mr. BRODRICK,) Surrey, GuildfordThe examination under paragraph 356 is open to all officers of Volunteers. As the names of Army officers who pass are not published in Army Orders, there does not seem to be any sufficient reason for publishing those of Volunteer officers. With regard to the point raised in the last paragraph of the hon. Member's Question, a proposal somewhat to the same effect is now under consideration.