§ MR. SWIFT MACNEILL (Donegal, S.)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for War whether officers in the Army on the active list are not allowed to be candidates, while occupying this position, for Parliamentary constituencies, and are compelled by a War Office regulation, or the practice of the War Office, to retire from the House of Commons on appointment to military commands: whether Peers of the Realm on the active list, and as such executive servants of the public, are entitled by the practice of the War Office to combine military and Parliamentary duties, while Members of this House are disqualified, by the practice of the War Office, from retaining their seats when placed on the active list; whether he will explain the reason of the difference made in favour of Army officers who are Members of the House of Lords to the disadvantage of Army officers who are Members of the House of Commons; and whether he intends is take any, and, if so, what steps to rectify this class distinction.
§ MR. HALDANEThere is no regulation against an officer becoming a candidate for a seat in the House of Commons, nor is it the practice of the War Office to intervene in this matter. If, however, he is elected, ho remains on the active list but is placed upon half-pay. 911 An officer is required to vacate his seat on being appointed to a command, because it is considered that the work of a Member of this House would engross too much of an officer's time, and that consequently the interests, comforts and efficiency of the troops placed under his command would thereby suffer. These rules are not applicable to Members of the House of Lords, as they cannot divest themselves of their duties as such. Hence an officer who is a Member of the House of Commons occupies a somewhat more favourable position under these rules than one who is a Member of the House of Lords, in that while being retained on the active list he is relieved from the performance of all military duty and is thus enabled to devote his whole time and energy to his legislative duties.
§ MR. SWIFT MACNEILLsaid that that was very delightful for military men. He asked whether the Government were seriously considering the rectification of such a state of things, whereby a military man in command was excluded from the House, while a military man who was a Member of the other House had full right of discussion there, and possibly could move a vote of censure on the Ministry and then proceed to take his pay from the War Office.
§ MR. HALDANEWe have not been troubled with the evil my hon. friend refers to.