§ MR. HEYWOOD JOHNSTONE (Sussex, Horsham)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for War if he will state how many indulgence passages have been granted and how many refused to officers proceeding home on leave after the South African War; and whether, seeing that the average cost of a passage home and out represents about six months' pay to a subaltern officer, when he is considering the inducements which may be held out to young men of moderate means to enter the Service, he will consider the desirability of giving some assistance or allowance to officers who are proceeding home on leave after a long period of active service during a time of war.
§ *THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR WAR (Mr. BRODRICK,) Surrey, GuildfordThe number of indulgence passages granted to officers proceeding home on leave since the cessation of hostilities is 467. This number is in addition to the considerable number of officers on leave whose services were utilised on duty with troops. No indulgence passages were refused to officers, but owing to the great rush of officers home on leave it was impossible to find immediate accommodation for all, and several officers preferred to pay their passage home rather than wait at the port of embarkation.
§ MR. HEYWOOD JOHNSTONEWill the right hon. Gentleman take into consideration cases I can submit to him?
§ *MR. BRODRICKCertainly, but I would remind the hon. Member that in the first few months after the war it was impossible to grant indulgence passages to all officers who asked for them.