§ MR. LEVERTON HARRIS (Tower Hamlets, Stepney)On behalf of the right hon. Gentleman the Member for Croydon, I beg to ask the Secretary of State for War what was the rank and file strength of the Royal Horse and Field Artillery on the 1st October, 1906, and the 1st June, 1907, respectively.
§ MR. HALDANEThe strength of the rank and file of the Royal Horse and Field Artillery on the 1st October, 1906, and 1st June, 1907, was as follows:— 1st October, 1906, 27,910; 1st June, 1907, 27,089. This reduction in strength is due partly to ordinary causes such as the operation of the three years system, and the low number of men left at home at this period of the year, and partly to reduction of establishment. The reductions in establishment were caused by (1) six Field Batteries having been withdrawn from the Colonies and placed on the Lower Establishment at Home: (2) by the number of depots having been reduced, in the case of the Field Artillery by three, and of the Horse Artillery by one. The reduction of depots was a matter of administrative convenience and had nothing to do with any scheme. The total amounts given at the beginning of this Answer relate to batteries at Home and in the Colonies; if India be included the total establishments show a slight increase.
§ MR. LEVERTON HARRISOn behalf of the right hon. Gentleman the Member for Croydon I beg to ask the Secretary of State for War whether he still proposes to reduce the Royal Horse and 347 Field Artillery by 3,700 men and sixty-seven officers, or by any other number; and, if the original proposal is to be abandoned, what is the amount of the reduction, if any, now proposed.
§ MR. HALDANEThe question of the future establishment of the Royal Horse and Field Artillery is now receiving the careful consideration of the Army Council, and I hope to be in a position to deal with any changes in the establishment of the Royal Artillery when Estimates are presented next year. I may observe that I have at no time proposed or even suggested the reduction of the total number of men available for Horse or Field Artillery by 3,700 or any other number. On the contrary, I have pointed out that there exists at present a serious deficiency in the numbers required for the mobilisation of this Arm. What I have proposed is largely to increase the total number of men available by getting on a Militia basis as many for the ammunition columns as can safely be taken for that purpose. As a means to this end I have proposed in the case of the Field Artillery to substitute for a certain proportion of Regulars a much larger number of Special Contingent men.