§ MR. SMEATON (Stirlingshire)To ask the Secretary of State for India, are officers who, previous to joining the Indian Army, served in the Militia during the South African war with' Army rank, and who, under the terms of War Office letter No 6/163d, June, 1905, are allowed to count such embodied or war service towards pension or gratuity in the British service, permitted to count it towards pension and promotion in the Indian Army in the same way as they would be allowed to count it if, at the time, they had borne commissions in the Regular Forces; and, if not, will he explain why not.
(Answered by Mr. Secretary Morley.) Officers of the Indian Army are allowed to reckon as service for Indian pension their service out of India before joining the Indian Army, to an extent not exceeding two years, and service in the embodied Militia is considered as service out of India for this propose. Promotion in the Indian Army is regulated by service from date of first permanent commission, and, therefore, under regulation, time in the embodied Militia does not reckon as service for promotion. It is the practice, however, specially to allow 1381 any such time passed on field service to reckon for promotion.