§ CAPTAIN CRAIG (Down, E.)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for War whether he can state the number of recruits who have joined the Special Reserves or extra Special Reserves regiments between 16th January, 1908, and 31st March, 1908, with the corresponding Return for the same period of Militia recruits for the year 1907; and would he further give a detailed statement in regard to the above for the Militia battalions of the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers, the Royal Irish Rifles, and the Royal Irish Fusiliers.
§ *MR. HALDANEThe figures available are for the period 16th January, 1908, to 28th March, 1908, for the Special Reserve, and 14th January, 1907, to 30th March, 1907, for the Militia. The figures are as follows—
§ CAPTAIN CRAIGI beg to ask the Secretary of State for War whether it is intended to take away recruits of the 3rd Battalion Royal Irish Rifles from Newtownards, County Down, and of the 5th Battalion of the same regiment from Downpatrick, for six months annual drill at the depot in Belfast; whether he is aware of the great difficulties which will be added to obtaining suitable country recruits if these two important centres are done away with; whether he has received any memorial from the local inhabitants of Downpatrick and Newtownards bearing on the loss which would consequently fall on the trades-people in the two towns; whether he can say if the advice of the commanding officers of these two regiments was asked for by the War Office authorities as to the proposed change; and what was the nature of the advice they gave.
§ MR. HALDANEIt is intended that the recruits of these two battalions shall drill on enlistment at the depot in Belfast, so far as accommodation permits. This change has been made in consequence of the general scheme of re-organisation and experience alone can shew what effect such change can have on recruiting. The general scheme was not referred to these commanding officers for their advice. No memorials on this subject from the towns mentioned appear to have reached the War Office.
§ MR. T. L. CORBETT (Down, N.)May I ask if the right hon. Gentleman is aware that particularly suitable accommodation for camping grounds and rifle ranges exists round Newtownards and Downpatrick, and that it will be very difficult to obtain land near Belfast for the purpose?
§ MR. HALDANEWhat the hon. Member says will be quite true of the annual training of the Reserve forces, but what I am speaking of is the preliminary recruit training of six months which will take place in winter, when the men do not camp out.
§ CAPTAIN CRAIGMay I ask whether those two ancient regiments, the 3rd Royal Irish Rifles and the 5th Royal Irish Rifles ave been taken away 492 from their home depots without the commanding officers being in any way consulted in so important a matter?
§ MR. HALDANEthey have been taken away in pursuance of a general scheme which was bound to involve a good many changes in accordance with the changed nature of the training
§ CAPTAIN CRAIGThen these regiments are to be severed from all county association with Down?
§ MR. T. L. CORBETTWill the right hon. Gentleman before he comes to a final decision consult the commanding officers?
§ MR. HALDANEIt is decided.
§ CAPTAIN CRAIGThis is a very important point for the whole County of Down, and it is only just known to a number of officers. May I ask whether it is too late to reconsider this matter? If the local inhabitants in Newtownards and Downpatrick present a memorial to the War Office will it be considered?
§ MR. HALDANEWe have gone very carefully into the matter, but there will be ample time to consider all these things as experience goes on. General Sir Neville Lyttelton, who, as Chief of the General Staff, advised us on these matters, succeeds to the chief command in Ireland to-morrow, and will take up his duties in a few days, and no one is more capable of forming an opinion on the practical necessities of the matter.