§ MR. C. P. SCOTT (Lancashire, Leigh)I beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he can state what was the number of British officers present with each battalion of native troops at the Battle of Omdurman; and whether care will be taken in any future operations in the Soudan that the proportion of British officers to native troops shall be kept to the full standard.
§ *MR. BRODRICKThe number of British officers in Sondanese battalions is five, in Egyptian battalions four. It is not now possible to say what number of these were present with each battalion at the Battle of Omdurman, but battalions are kept complete or very nearly so to the above establishments. It is, of course, not possible on a campaign to secure that all officers will be present at an engagement.