§ MR. CHARLES HOBHOUSE (Bristol, E.)To ask the Secretary of State for War if he will state what is the course laid down for the instruction of officers, non commissioned officers, and men of auxiliary engineer forces in railway construction and management; when is the course held; how many men have had or are in course of having this instruction; and what facilities are afforded by the railway companies.
(Answered by Mr. Secretary Brodrick.) No special courses of instruction are laid down for Militia or Volunteer Engineers. Two companies of the Royal Monmouthshire, Royal Engineers (Militia), are, however, to be trained with a view to being useful for railway construction work, and one officer and twenty noncommissioned officers of this corps are now at Chatham for a two months course of instruction with the Royal Engineer (Regular) Railway Company there. The 2nd Cheshire Royal Engineers (Volunteers), commanded by Colonel Cotton-Jodrell, consists of employees of the London and North-Western Railway Company; its headquarters are at Crewe. 1111 Sub-district Commanding Royal Engineers have instructions to arrange the annual courses for Royal Engineer Volunteers, so as to correspond as far as possible with the work the corps would have to undertake on mobilisation.