§ VISCOUNT VALENTIA (Oxford)To ask the Secretary of State for War if he is aware of the difficulty of getting recruits for the Territorial Army medically examined by civilian doctors owing to the small fee of 1s. sanctioned by regulation; and, if so, whether he will consider the advisability of increasing the fee to 2s. 6d., at which figure it stood before the passing of the Territorial Forces Act, 1907, having in view the tax entailed on the time of the medical man who, to carry out the instructions for the physical examination of candidates, must expend nearly two hours in performing this duty.
(Answered by Mr. Secretary Haldane.) I think the noble Lord is under some misapprehension. 2s. 6d. was only paid in the Yeomanry; the Volunteers were generally examined by their regimental medical officers without payment of a fee. At present no fee is prescribed, but a grant of 1s. is made to an Association for each recruit passed. These grants form a fund from which fees for medical examination of recruits can be paid when necessary. It is, however, anticipated that in most cases the medical examination will be conducted by the Royal Army Medical Corps of the Territorial Force as part of their military duty.