§ COLONEL WELBY (Taunton)I beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for War whether he is aware that Major and Brevet Lieutenant-Colonel Le Gallais, and Major and Brevet Colonel Mahon, 8th Hussars, have been employed on special duties away from their regiment, the former for about six years, the latter for about ten years, without being seconded, so that none have been promoted or appointed to do their regimental work; and whether he can see his way to a rule being made that whenever an officer is employed away from his regiment for more than twelve months continuously he shall be made supernumerary in his regiment, in order that those doing his regimental work may have due rank, and the complement of officers doing duty with the regiment be kept complete.
§ *MR. WYNDHAMMajors employed extra-regimentally are replaced by captains, who carry out the necessary regimental work.
§ In reply to a further question by Colonel WELBY,
§ *MR. WYNDHAMsaid additional captains were appointed to do the work, but not additional majors.