§ CAPTAIN NORTON (Newington, W.)I beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for War if he can state the number of reserve battalions and their strength and establishment both in officers and men; 275 whether all military pensioners now serving in response to the Queen's appeal are liable at any time to have their pensions stopped, although all non-commissioned officers and men draw both pension and pay, and when married separation allowance in addition, while some who are in Government civil employment draw half pay of their civil salary as well; whether an officer who has retired upon a pension or gratuity, or partly pension and partly gratuity, is liable to be recalled to service without his consent; whether this condition of service for pensioners applies equally to all military pensioners irrespective of rank; and whether he will consider the advisability of making an allowance to officers of this class who respond to the Queen's appeal to compensate them for breaking up their home establishment.
§ * MR. WYNDHAMIn reply to the first paragraph there are at present eleven battalions with an establishment of twenty-eight officers and 978 men each, and a total strength of 149 officers and 13,187 men. The total number of applications for all arms was on Saturday 28,009. The reply to the second paragraph is in the negative and to the third in the affirmative. The regulations under which retired officers are liable to recall are shewn in Article 486c. of the Pay Warrant, and those for non-commissioned officers and men in Article 1212. In regard to the last paragraph, the officers receive an outfit allowance, and a gratuity when their services are no longer required.