HC Deb 28 June 1900 vol 84 cc1325-6
COLONEL WELBY (Taunton)

I beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for War whether he is aware that officers of Regular regiments, who are employed as aides-de-camp to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, are not made supernumerary in their regiments by seconding, and that they only do four months duty with their regiments in each year; and whether the experience of the war in South Africa has shown that this limited regimental training is sufficient; and, if not, whether he can see his way to these appointments being limited to officers of the Militia, Yeomanry, and Volunteers, whose training would not necessarily be curtailed by being thus employed.

*MR. WYNDHAM

The facts stated in the first paragraph are accurate. There is, however, nothing to show that the officers of the Lord Lieutenant's staff who joined their regiments in South Africa were in any way deficient in regimental training, and it is not thought necessary to make any change in the regulation.

COLONEL WELBY

Are we to understand that four months training in a year is sufficient for an officer?

*MR. WYNDHAM

I would not have my hon. and gallant friend draw any such conclusion from the reply.