§ SIR SAMUEL SCOTT (Marylebone, W.)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for War whether, now that Volunteer field army brigades have ceased to exist, it is intended to compel Volunteer battalions who are willing to train in camp for fifteen days to train only for seven days.
§ MR. HALDANEUntil the re-organisation scheme for the Territorial Army is produced, volunteer infantry battalions will not receive allowances in respect of a stay of more than eight days in camp.
§ SIR SAMUEL SCOTTasked whether an increase of efficiency in the battalion did not justify an increase of expenditure.
§ MR. HALDANEdid not think the hon. Baronet had followed the situation. There was no reason why one battalion should have fifteen days training when another had only eight days. The fifteen days camp was only in the field army brigades, and those brigades were gone.
§ *MR. MCCRAE (Edinburgh, E.)asked if it would not be advisable, until the new scheme was formulated, to allow those battalions that had been doing fifteen days in camp to continue to do so. Otherwise 1041 the result would be disastrous to the Volunteer force.
§ MR. HALDANEreplied that if he gave this privilege to one battalion it would be only fair to give it to other battalions.
§ MR. MCCRAEI understand that, according to the scheme of the right hon. Gentleman, the Volunteers are to be divided into two classes. Surely one class might be allowed fifteen days camp.
§ MR. HALDANEI hope so in future, when we get our new organisation.
§ *MR. MCCRAEWhy break the continuity.
§ MR. HALDANEWith the existing organisation, there is not the slightest reason for giving one battalion more than another fifteen days training.