§ MR. CAUTLEY (Leeds, E.)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for War whether he is aware that on the return of the active service section of the Leeds Engineer Volunteers on the 3rd May, 1901, the men were informed at the Leeds Barracks by their commanding officer that they would receive a month's furlough on full pay; that such announcement was not in accordance with the then existing regulations, and that a few days subsequently they were further informed that under new regulations issued on the day of their arrival they were not entitled to any furlough or any gratuity; and that, on inquiry being made of the War Office, a reply was sent to the commanding officer stating that the payment of gratuity and granting of furlough to returned Volunteers are only applicable to men who have not completed one year of service or who have been discharged as medically unfit; and whether it is in accordance with the regulations that the Leeds Engineers, who have been on active service for one year and one hundred days, have been deprived of their gratuity by reason only of their increased service of one hundred days beyond the year; if so, whether he proposes to take any measures to remedy this hardship.
LORD STANLEYMen who on return to England had not served the full year for which they had enlisted, and had therefore a claim to complete the year's service, were offered in lieu a gratuity of thirty days pay on their services being no longer required. Men who, like the Leeds Volunteers, have already completed their engagement, have no claim to remain, and are, therefore, not in a position to ask for a furlough gratuity in lieu of remaining. They will, of course, get the usual war gratuity and the £5 gratuity on discharge.