§ SIR CHARLES DILKE (Gloucestershire, Forest of Dean)To ask the Secretary of State for War, whether his expectation that the whole of the Army Act would be re-cast, probably at a near date, is likely to be fulfilled; whether the rules of procedure contained in the Manual of Military Law, dated November last, are to be revised in the portions dealing with the Territorial Force; when promised revise of the King's Regulations now in the press will be issued; and at what date the book of Territorial Force Regulations now being drawn up will be available.
(Answered by Mr. Secretary Haldane.) The right hon. Baronet is apparently, in the first part of the Question, alluding to an observation I made in debate on 18th March of last year on the Army (Annual) Bill. The time has not yet come when it is possible to codify profitably—several important Acts are obsolescent, but not yet obsolete. The rules of procedure are applicable to all persons subject to military law. They contain no special provisions as regards Auxiliary Force and will not require revision consequent on the transfer of the Yeomanry and Volunteers to the Territorial Forces. The new edition 1403 of the King's Regulations is now being issued. It is not possible to say at what date the new Territorial Force regulations will be available, but it is hoped that they will be ready in two or three months. Several sets of interim regulations have already appeared, and rapid progress is being made towards the completion of such a volume as already exists in the 'Case of the Volunteers.