§ SIR A. ACLAND-HOODI beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for War, whether all recruits enlisted for general service who are up to the Guards' standard are now taken for the Brigade of Guards at the expense of the rest of the Army; what are the numbers of recruits, exclusive of bandsmen and boys, raised for each regiment of Guards since 1st January 1897, and how many of these are specially enlisted; and what are the present numbers of each regiment of Guards above or below the establishment of 1896?
§ MR. BRODRICKNo alteration has been made in the recruiting regulations by which it has been laid down for some years past that recruiting for the Royal Artillery, Royal Engineers, and Foot Guards takes precedence of other recruiting. The number of recruits raised for each regiment of Foot Guards since January 1, 1897, was as follows:— Grenadier Guards, 235, of whom 75 were specials; Coldstream Guards, 143, of whom 39 were specials; Scots Guards, 131, of whom 40 were specials. On May 1 the Grenadier Guards were 30 above establishment, the Coldstream Guards 11 above establishment, and the Scots Guards four below establishment. It is necessary to add that, owing to the great activity of trade, and the consequent 363 increase of employment, the recruiting for the, Army generally has been unusually slack since January 1, and, while the numbers of Foot Guards have been more than maintained, the rest of the Army is short by nearly 1,600 men.
§ SIR A. ACLAND-HOODMay I ask the right hon. Gentleman, arising out of that answer, why, if the strength of the Foot Guards has been more than maintained, it has been thought necessary to reduce the standard to 5ft. 7 in.?
§ MR. BRODRICKThe hon. and gallant Gentleman is probably aware that there has never been an occasion when an increase in the Army has taken place that the standard has not had to be reduced. In the next place, we have not merely had to maintain the strength of the Foot Guards, but we have to add an extra battalion during the year. That is the reason why the standard has been reduced to that at which it stood for many years.
§ *SIR C. DILKE (Gloucester, Forest of Dean)Has any progress whatever been made towards adding this new battalion to the Guards? Does the battalion yet consist of a single man?
§ MR. BRODRICKYes, Sir, some progress has been made. We were below the establishment for the Foot Guards at the beginning of the year, and now we are above it in the Grenadier and Coldstream Guards. Measures have been taken for the recall of men from the Reserve, which we confidently anticipate will put us in a much better position altogether than before.