MR. C. B. HARMSWOETHTo ask the Secretary of State for War whether the conditions governing the Territorial efficiency medal have been so framed as to exclude from the conferring of this distinction officers who have previously served in the ranks; whether he is aware that an officer of the Volunteer Force who had served in the ranks became eligible for and received the Volunteer long-service medal; and whether he will take steps to secure that officers of the Territorial Army shall be treated in the same way as regards the Territorial efficiency medal as were officers of the Volunteer Force as regards the Volunteer long-Service medal.
(Answered by Mr. Secretary Haldane.) The medal was granted to Volunteer officers on retirement after twenty years service if they had served in the ranks, but had not served long enough to earn the decoration. The efficiency medal is granted to the Territorial Force after twelve years service, while the decoration is granted after twenty years service, and, therefore, the proposal of my hon. friend does not appear to be practicable.