§ MR. BELLAIRSTo ask the Secretary of State for War whether there has been a satisfactory improvement recorded in the Reports on the examinations for promotion of officers in the Regular Army since the 1904 Report, circulated by General Hutchison, commented on a regrettable feature of the examination being that a large number of candidates spelt badly and were unable to express themselves clearly, so being unable to impart instruction of any value to noncommissioned officers and men in one of the most important duties of rendering reports, and in regard to military engineering, tactics, and topography; and whether he can state if there has been a marked improvement since 1904, when the Report stated that the results could only be described as indifferent.
(Answered by Mr. Secretary Haldane.) There has been a steady and marked improvement in the matters referred to in the hon. Member's Question since 1904.