§ SIR SAMUEL SCOTTI beg to ask the Secretary of State for War whether recruits enlisted under the Territorial Army Act for the Special Reserve are sent to the depots of their affiliated Regular battalions for recruit training; whether it has been found impossible to give these recruits the advantage of being trained in large squads with the recruits of the Regular battalion owing to their being armed with the old rifle instead of the new rifle; and, if so. whether he will rectify this anomaly at an early date.
§ MR. HALDANESpecial Reserve recruits of the Infantry are sent to the depots of their affiliated Regular battalions for recruit training; Regular and Special Reserve recruits are allotted to squads at the discretion of the officer commanding the depot. The fact that Special Reserve recruits have not yet been provided with the new rifle does not prevent their being trained in squads with Regular recruits if the commanding officer adopts this system. Pending their re-armament additional drill purpose short rifles are being provided for issue to the depots at the earliest possible date.