§ MR. RAWLINSON (Cambridge University)To ask the Secretary of State for War during which months the winter training of the twenty Militia battalions is to take place.
§ MR. JAMES MASON (Windsor)To ask the Secretary of State for War if Cavalry and Artillery will be trained during the winter, in order to afford to some or all of the Militia battalions opportunities of exercise and manœuvre in company with a mixed force.
§ MR. JAMES MASONTo ask the Secretary of State for War if he will lay upon the Table the Reports from recruiting officers as to the probable effect of the winter training of Militia battalions upon enlistment for the Infantry of the Line; and if the Army Council is satisfied that the winter training will not seriously affect Line recruiting.
§ MR. HICKS BEACHTo ask the Secretary of State for War whether he contemplates that the training of certain battalions of Militia during the winter months will have any injurious effect upon the supply of officers for those battalions.
§ MR. HICKS BEACHTo ask the Secretary of State for War whether, in the proposed scheme to train certain battalions of Militia during the winter months, it is intended to include the usual musketry course; or whether a supplementary training will be held during the summer months, when the conditions of light and weather are most favourable for musketry practice.
(Answered by Mr. Secretary Haldane.) There appears to be some misapprehension as to our proposals with regard to the Militia, and I will, if the hon. Members will permit me, reply to all the Questions regarding Militia training together. The Army Council are selecting twenty Militia Infantry battalions, with which to try an experimental training of six months for recruits on first enlistment. They are also considering whether the training might not be six weeks for these particular battalions, instead of twenty-seven days. The existing system is sixty-three days for recruits and twenty-seven days for Militiamen.
This increased training is in accordance with the recommendation of the Norfolk Commission, and the Army Council are desirous of ascertaining whether such longer periods will fit in with the civil avocations of the non - commissioned officers and men. Infantry only will be selected for the experiment, and General Officers Commanding have been asked their opinions on the units suggested. The training of the battalions will take place, for the present, in the main during the summer, but on this point we are consulting General Officers Commanding in Chief. It will be optional for recruits to enlist for their six months training at any time convenient to themselves. It is not anticipated that any injurious effect will result as regards the supply of Militia officers, and the experiment will show 1290 how far the recruiting for the Line is affected. Militiamen will be required to complete at least one annual training before transfer to the regular Army. Increased attention will be devoted to musketry, and a revised course for both recruits and trained Militiamen is under consideration. There are no figures available to show what proportion of Militiamen are habitually unemployed during the winter, but it is hoped that this system may be the means of reducing that number. The annual cost of a Militia battalion under the new system will necessarily be higher than at present. Barracks will be utilised where possible. In other cases hut accommodation or large buildings will be provided when practicable, and failing these, billeting will be resorted to. Our object is to provide as great elasticity as is possible.