§ MR. ARNOLD-FORSTER (Croydon)To ask the Secretary of State for War whether the figures given at page 11 of the Estimates, viz., 169,114 and 161,302, correctly represent the establishment and strength of the Army on 1st January, 1908; if the difference between these figures, viz., 7,812, accurately represents the numbers by which the Army was 931 below establishment on the date named; and, if so, to what extent and by what means has the deficit been reduced between 1st January and the present date.
| Establishment. | Strength. | Difference. | |
| 1st January 1908 | 169,723 | 161,302 | 8,421 |
| 1st May 1908 | 169,114 | 162,220 | 6,894 |
§ The reduction of the difference is due to a net decrease in wastage, recruiting having been satisfactory.
§ MR. ARNOLD-FORSTERTo ask the Secretary of State for War why the establishment of the Army is given in Army Estimates as 169,114, seeing that it was on 6th April 157,958, a difference of 11,156; and why the strength of the Army is given in Army Estimates as 161,302, seeing that it was on the 6th April 153,755, a difference of 7,547.
(Answered by Mr. Secretary Haldane.) The right hon. Gentleman has fallen into the same error as the hon. Member for the Blackpool Division. The figures given on 6th April referred to the number of non-commissioned officers and men on 1st March, 1908. The figures shown on page 11 of the Army Estimates refer to the number of all ranks on 1st January, 1908.