§ MR. CARLILE (Hertfordshire, St. Albans)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for War whether, in view of the fact that special qualifications are necessary for giving first-aid to the injured and sick in the battalions of the Territorial Army, he will discontinue the present arrangements under which the musicians in the band of the battalion are called upon to render this assistance, whether he is aware that bandsmen dislike having this duty put upon them, for which they have no special qualifications; and whether he will instruct commanding officers of territorial battalions to provide an independent section to give first-aid to the injured and sick.
§ MR. HALDANEThe hon. Member has apparently lost sight of the fact that the bandsmen in the Regular Army are trained as stretcher-bearers and in first-aid to the wounded. I am not aware of any reason why the bandsmen in the Territorial Force should not be competent to carry out similar work.
§ MR. CARLILEwas understood to ask if the present position of Territorial bands was the most suitable one for this purpose.
§ MR. HALDANEreplied that the Territorial bands were on the same footing as those of the Regular forces, and it was not deemed expedient to make a new departure in this matter.