§ GENERAL LAURIETo ask the Secretary of State for War whether a regulation is now in force prescribing that after five years service in that rank a subaltern officer of the Royal Field Artillery cannot be appointed to serve with the Royal Horse Artillery; whether a further regulation exists that an officer who has not served in Royal Horse Artillery as a subaltern cannot be appointed as captain or major to Royal Horse Artillery; whether he is aware that, owing to the practical stoppage o£ promotion in the Royal Artillery since the South African War, officers who were on active service with field batteries during that war, and were thus precluded from obtaining appointments to Royal Horse Artillery, have now completed five years service and are thus, under above rules, precluded from appointment to; Royal Horse Artillery; and whether he will, under the circumstances, not enforce the prohibition against these officers serving in the higher ranks when through the exigencies of active service they have been prevented from serving as subalterns with Royal Horse Artillery.
(Answered by Mr. Secretary Arnold-Forster.) It has been the rule for many years that subalterns should not be appointed to the Horse Artillery after completion of five years service. Officers who have been passed over as subalterns for this reason are not, however, debarred from appointment in the next rank. There is no intention, therefore, of precluding such officers as those alluded to in the last part of the Question from appointment to Horse Artillery hereafter, provided that they are in every other way qualified.