§ MR. LEVY (Leicestershire, Loughborough)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for War whether he will state the steps taken by the War Office to inform reservists to whom working furlough had been granted prior to the issue of the Army Order 200, of September, 1901, of the terms of that Order; is he aware that men were allowed to continue on furlough in ignorance of the effect of the Order in depriving them for every week they remained on furlough of the gratuity earned by one month of service, until the whole of the gratuity earned during mobilisation was forfeited, and were in some cases not informed of the fact until after their final discharge; and, seeing that officers engaged in making up the accounts of reservists prior to demobilisation included the full gratuity earned, and that subsequently the gratuity, or a portion of the gratuity, was deducted from the amount paid, will he state the number of men so treated, and consider the desirability of paying them the full amounts to which they were led to suppose themselves entitled.
LORD STANLEYThis information was, as usual, promulgated by Army Order. It is not practicable to communicate with each man on furlough as to the nature of Army Orders published during his absence. It is not proposed to add a furlough gratuity to the furlough already granted to these men. I am not aware of the numbers of men so treated.