§ SIR JOHN DORINGTON (Gloucestershire, Tewkesbury)I beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for War who is responsible for sending, on 5th January last, nine men of the Gloucester Regiment, recovering from wounds, from Netley Hospital to Aldershot without any notice to any officer there that the men were coming; also, for directing the men on arrival to report themselves to the 2nd Battalion Gloucester Regiment, which had gone to South Africa some time previously, so that on their arrival in the evening, there were no quarters, bedding, or rations for them until they found accommodation with the 4th West York Regiment, with whom were some details left behind by the Gloucester Regiment, and who shared their food and bedding with them; will he explain why these men who were recommended by the hospital authorities to have two months furlough to recover their health were, after a few days spent at Aldershot, sent in the clothes which they had worn on their journey from Africa, plus some civilian coats given them at Netley, to the Militia battalion of their regiment stationed at Athlone, where they were re-clothed and then allowed at their own expense to return to England on fur- 433 lough; and whether some other system could be concerted between the hospital authorities and the military authorities for the treatment of convalescents from South Africa on discharge from hospital than was adopted in this case.
§ *THE UNDER SECRETARY OF STATE FOR WAR (Mr. WYNDHAM,) DoverSome difficulty has occurred in the investigation of this case because many of the persons concerned have gone to South Africa. Due notice was sent from Netley of the arrival of these men, but the notice appears not to have been received at Aldershot. The detachment of the 2nd Battalion Gloucestershire Regiment left at Aldershot was attached to the 2nd Battalion West Yorkshire Regiment, and it was therefore quite proper that the 2nd Battalion West Yorkshire Regiment should provide accommodation for the men coming from Netley. The officer commanding the detachment of the 2nd Gloucestershire Regiment acted wrongly in sending these men to Athlone. He is an officer called up for duty from the Militia, and therefore inexperienced; but he will be reprimanded. A change of system is about to be introduced by which men will be sent on sick furlough direct from hospital to their homes at Government expense instead of being sent to their regiments. This concession will, at some expense to Government, simplify the arrangements for sick furloughs; but it is the opinion of the Secretary of State that the system at present in force would have sufficiently provided for the case of these men, if all concerned had acted with due zeal and discretion.
§ *In reply to a further question, Mr. WYNDHAM said such an event was not likely to occur again.