§ Mr. PIRIEI beg to ask the Secretary of State for War, whether there is any intention to shortly change the system of recruiting by, in addition to other methods, recruiting direct from the schools, and so obtaining boys of reliably known ages to be classed and kept together as boys till they reach the proper age for efficient military service; and, if not, whether in any changes that may be made, attention will be given to the advantages of such a proposal, whereby reliable data as to age of Army recruits would be secured.
LORD STANLEYBoys are already enlisted from the Duke of York's School and the Royal Hibernian School; further a list of schools is periodically published from which boys can be obtained. Regiments have a fixed establishment of boys who are classed and kept together as boys. There is no immediate intention of making any further changes in this respect.