§ MR. BUCHANAN (Perthshire, E.)To ask the Secretary of State for India whether, as the establishment of generals and lieutenant-generals for the Indian Army was laid down by the recent Royal Warrant at three generals and five lieutenant-generals, and that there are now two vacancies on the generals' list, two on the lieutenant-generals' list, and four on the major-generals' list, steps will be taken at once to make the necessary promotions; and whether the rule requiring three years service in the rank of lieutenant-general before promotion to the rank of general will now be dispensed with, seeing that under the terms of the Royal Warrant such pro- 604 motion is to be made by seniority, and that no similar rule exists in the British service for retarding the promotion of lieutenant-generals.
(Answered by Mr. Secretary Brodrick.) The establishment of three generals and five lieutenant-generals is as stated, but the rule requiring three years service in the rank of lieutenant-general has been made deliberately to prevent either congestion or unduly rapid promotion and consequent injury to officers, and therefore I do not propose to dispense with it. The vacancies among the lieutenant-generals will be filled up in due course. There is no establishment of major-generals, but the number (twenty-two) is a maximum which permits of promotion being made when required. It is obviously not advisable to maintain it continually at its limit.