§ GENERAL LAURIE (Pembroke and Haverfordwest)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for War whether he can state who is the officer or what is the authority whose duty it is to make inquiries and obtain the information which enables officers to be selected for promotion, or any staff appointment, or special service; and whether the selection is based on personal knowledge or entirely on formal reports.
§ THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR WAR (Mr. ARNOLD-FORSTER, Belfast, W.)The confidential reports of officers of the Army are in the custody of the Military Secretary, who is also secretary of the Selection Board. Selections for command or promotion are made by this Board, and when further information is required about any officer it is obtained from General Officers Commanding by the secretary. These selections are made partly as a result of personal knowledge and partly from a study of the formal reports on an officer throughout his career. Staff appointments are made, on the same principle as promotions, by the member of the Army Council who presides over the branch concerned.