§ SIR IVOR HERBERTI beg to ask the Secretary of State for War whether any grant will be made to sergeant-instructors of the Territorial Army who are entrusted with the care of arms, in lieu of the allowance hitherto paid to them from Volunteer regimental funds; and whether he will see that non-commissioned officers who served under the old conditions are not losers by reason 748 of their having continued their service in the Territorial Army.
§ MR. HALDANEThe Territorial Force regulations contain the same provision as that in the Volunteer Regulations for the remuneration of the Permanent Staff for cleaning arms and doing other duties outside their ordinary military work. The custody and care of arms are included in the duties covered by ordinary Army pay. County Associations upon whom the payment of allowances now devolves will doubtless see that payments, which were justifiable in the past, are continued if the special work continues for which they may be given. The Army Council is not prepared to sanction the payment of excessive rates of extra remuneration solely because they were paid by Volunteer corps.
§ MR. ASHLEYAm I to understand that the right hon. Gentleman stands by the letter of the Adjutant-General in 1903 giving certain special rates to non-commissioned officers in the London district?
§ MR. HALDANEI do not remember that.
§ SIR IVOR HERBERTIs it left entirely in the hands of the Association?
§ MR. HALDANESubject to this, that the Army Council must not spend money outside the regulations.