§ MR. ARTHUR LEE (Hampshire, Fareham)To ask the Secretary of State for War whether his attention has been drawn to the block of promotion now existing in certain ranks of the Royal Army Medical Corps, as a result of which no promotions of warrant officers to the rank of quartermaster have been made since 1902, although fourteen vacancies have occurred during that period (all such vacancies having been absorbed): and whether, with a view to mitigating the resulting hardship to senior warrant officers of the corps, he will consider the advisability of absorbing in future alternate vacancies only until 464 the ordinary flow of promotion is restored.
(Answered by Mr. Secretary Haldane.) The block of promotion in the senior ranks of the corps, which arose from the number of promotions made during the war, was very thoroughly considered in the early part of last year. The remedy proposed in the Question was one of the many suggestions which were put forward, but it was found that inequalities of treatment of individual cases would arise therefrom, and on this account it was advisedly rejected.