§ MR. CLAVELL SALTER (Hampshire, Basingstoke)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for War if he will state, as regards officers and non-commissioned officers of the battalions recently disbanded, how many have accepted transfers into other regiments, have been absorbed into their own regiments, have been given temporary appointments, are still without employment; how is it proposed to deal with those now holding temporary appointments when the term for which they have been appointed expires; and are any other, and what, steps being taken to relieve the congestion caused by the reductions.
§ MR. HALDANEThirty-three officers have been transferred with their own consent to other regiments; two lieutenant-colonels have been transferred to the Staff; 160 vacancies in the old establishment have been absorbed, but the new reduced establishment has not yet been reached, and there remain 154 officers supernumerary to the reduced establishment. Sixty-six officers have been given temporary appointments. When the tenure of these appointments expires, their cases will be dealt with as opportunities offer, by extra-regimental promotion or absorption in their own regiments. No other steps are possible than those which are being taken. As regards the non-commissioned officers, of whom there were 803 in the nine battalions at the time the order was issued for their reduction, 435 have been absorbed, discharged at their own wish, or transferred to the Reserve or other units; thus leaving 368 who are 474 employed with the Home battalion or depots of their regiments.