§ MR. HUBERT DUNCOMBE (Cumberland, Egremont)I beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for War on what principle the classes of instruction for Volunteer Officers at Wellington Barracks are filled up; whether the class to be held in May next was filled up before the 20th March, when the official notices were sent out; 1539 whether he is aware that the application of the Officer commanding the 2nd V. B. (P.W.O.), Yorkshire Regiment, for permission to attend these classes has been three times refused; whether he can state the reason of such refusals; whether any preference is given to officers in London corps over officers in country corps; and, whether he can give the respective numbers of officers belonging to London and country corps that have received permission to attend the forthcoming class in May?
§ THE UNDER SECRETARY OF STATE FOR WAR (Mr. BRODRICK,) Surrey, GuildfordThe classes at Wellington Barracks for the instruction of officers of the Volunteers are filled strictly in accordance with priority of application. The formation of the May class was notified in the Home District Orders of the 13th March, and on the 25th there were still two vacancies for subalterns. Two applications have been received from the Yorkshire battalion referred to; and they had to be refused as there were no vacancies for officers of their rank, and as the applications were for the May class only, instead of giving the choice of several months as recommended in Art. 298 of the Volunteer Regulations, No preference is given to officers in the London district. Out of the 30 officers accepted for the May class, 8 belong to the Home district and 22 to other districts.