§ MR. WILLIAM RUTHERFORD (Liverpool, West Derby)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for War whether he would be prepared to give consideration to a proposal for improving the status of Volunteer officers on the lines of granting Army rank or honorary Army rank to those being duly qualified and efficient, who would be willing to undertake the legal obligation of foreign service in the event of war, the minimum period of such obligation being (say) three years; and whether such officers who had served under such conditions should be entitled to Army rank upon retirement in ordinary course.
§ MR. ARNOLD-FORSTERThe whole question of the Reserve of officers is under consideration by a specially appointed Committee, and I will undertake that my hon. friend's suggestion shall be laid before that Committee. I will point out, however, that in many cases officers undertaking such a liability as he suggests would necessarily be withdrawn from their own units in time of war.