§ MR. W. NICHOLSON (Hampshire, Petersfield)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for War how many commissions, if any, have been offered to Militia officers who desire to come in as part of the 220 additional Regular officers required in the new third battalions.
§ MR. HALDANENo such commissions have been offered to Militia officers in place of the proportion of Regular officers allocated to the new third battalions, nor was this at any time contemplated. As the outcome of a conference with the representatives of Militia commanding officers the Army Council have arranged to employ Special Reserve officers both with Regular units and at the depots, in the latter case where the number of recruits at the depots exceeds a certain number. Special Reserve officers will be employed with Regular units when, as often happens, there is a temporary shortage of Regular officers, or when Regular officers are seconded. I may add that to enable Special Reserve units to obtain junior officers pending the machinery of the new training corps becoming fully operative the Army Council have decided, as an interim arrangement, to allow candidates for commissions in the Special Reserve to qualify by serving with a Regular unit for four months provided that they apply for commissions before the 18th of next December, instead of the full probationary period of twelve months.