§ *SIE CHARLES DILKE (Gloucestershire, Forest of Dean)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for War if he will state the reason which led the Army Council to omit the ages of cavalry and horse and field artillery horses from the General Annual Report on the British Army, published in March last; and whether, inasmuch as the number of horses of military age continues to be known to the Army Council, the policy can be reconsidered in publishing tables in the coming spring, and the number of horses fit for service given.
THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR WAR (Mr. HALDANB,) HaddingtonThese tables were omitted from the General Annual Report after careful consideration, because they were not held to be of sufficient public or official interest to justify their retention. Owing to the recent reductions in the unit Returns, it would have been necessary to institute a special Return in order to obtain this information from India, as the Return in which it was formerly included has been abolished. At a time when every effort is being made to reduce 186 the labour involved in the preparation of Returns, I deprecate any reintroduction of such work. My right hon. friend will also doubtless recollect that a Committee of this House only recently urged strongly the necessity of reducing the size of Parliamentary publications, and the Return affords a case in point.
§ *SIR CHARLES DILKEThe British part is quite separate from the Indian part, and the reduction of the contents by the change was a single page, and the Report itself was increased by three pages.
§ MR. HALDANEIf the right hon. Gentleman wishes any particular information, and will ask me privately, I shall be glad to gratify him.