§ MR. KIMBER (Wandsworth)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for War whether, by the recent promotions of colonels to major-generals for service in South Africa the establishment of major-generals is filled up; if so, whether these promotions will stop the promotion of senior colonels who, in the ordinary course, would have been promoted to major-generals; whether, seeing that some of the senior colonels were prevented from going to the front owing to their services being required at home to command regimental districts and otherwise, their duties being exceptionally arduous throughout the war, they will lose their promotions owing to the list of major-generals being filled; and how does he propose to remedy the grievance of these officers,
§ MR. BRODRICKThe establishment of major-generals ceased to exist on 1st January, 1901, the promotion of colonels for war service having been supernumerary did not stop the promotion of any Colonels in ordinary vacancies up to the 31st December, 1900. Any colonels who have served at home during the war will be considered as well as those who went to the front for appointments, carrying the rank of major-general as opportunity offers, but since 1st January such promotion depends entirely on the fitness of the officer for the vacant appointment. No grievance therefore arises.