§ GENERAL LAURIE (Pembroke and Haverfordwest)I beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for War if he will state the total number of Royal Reserve men who have been re-enrolled and are now serving, distinguishing cavalry, field and garrison artillery, engineers, guards, and Line, and how many corps of each arm of the service have been formed; whether field and garrison artillery and engineers have been formed into separate Reserve units, or whether the men have been utilised to fill up vacancies in existing regular organisations; whether all such Reserve corps are in every respect fully supplied with arms, accoutrements, and other appointments, and whether the mounted portions are fully horsed; and whether these corps are fit to take the field, and have taken part in all field days with other troops where they are stationed.
§ *MR. WYNDHAMThe numbers are: —Cavalry, 1,586; Horse and Field Artillery, 1,518; Garrison Artillery, 1,121; Royal Engineers, 437; Foot Guards, 631; infantry of the Line 18,055; other corps, 429; total, 23,777—out of 28,262 who offered their services. Four cavalry Reserve regiments and eighteen infantry Reserve battalions have been formed; in other arms the men have been posted to existing units. The Reserve units are not yet fully supplied with arms and accoutrements; some 230 rifles, 1,250 swords, and 3,000 sets of accoutrements and 500 waistbelts remain to be supplied. The cavalry regiments are not yet fully horsed; horses are furnished gradually as the regiments apply for them. In some cases the generals under whom these units are serving consider them already fit to take the field; but in others, owing to their musketry training being unfinished or their accoutrements incomplete, they are not yet ready.
§ GENERAL LAURIEWill the men of the field artillery be retained at the end of the twelve months, or will fresh men be called up?
§ *MR. WYNDHAMThe question of retaining for service any of these men has, as I have already informed the House, been considered, and we shall do so in some cases, though it will not be the general rule. Probably in the case of artillery there is a stronger reason for doing so than in other cases.