§ MAJOR ANSTRUTHER-GRAY: (St. Andrews Burghs)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for War whether he will consider the desirability of stiffening the field artillery brigades of the Territorial Army with a proportion of Regulars in addition to the permanent staff, say eight drivers and eight horses per battery.
§ MR. HALDANEPermission has recently been granted to County Associations to enlist ex-soldiers of horse and field artillery up to the age of thirty-six. It is hoped that the ranks of the field batteries will thereby be stiffened with expert drivers and gunners, who would also assist in the instruction of the ordinary Territorial soldier. The numbers 1645 already granted for the permanent staff to be found from the Regular horse and field artillery amounts to 378. We do not propose to make any alteration in this, and it will be time enough to discuss it when the scheme has received a fair trial.
§ MR. ARTHUR LEEasked the right hon. Gentleman to answer the last part of the Question referring to the horses for these batteries.
§ MR. HALDANEsaid it was intended to supply the trained horses that were necessary. If there was any shortage the matter would be reconsidered.
§ MR. ARTHUR LEEAre the horses to go round the different batteries, or will individual batteries have their own horses?
§ MR. HALDANEIndividual batteries will have their own horses. It is a very bad plan for different batteries to use the same set of horses.