Captain CRAIGI wish to ask the Secretary of State for War whether he is aware that upon the execution of the amended artillery reliefs for the current year, the 35th Field Artillery Brigade will have had three changes of station within a period of two years, viz.: from Athlone to Sheffield, Sheffield to Ipswich, and Ipswich to Newcastle; whether these peregrinations are required by military 5 necessity; whether, with a view to relieving both the public purse and the pockets of the personnel of the brigade, and especially in view of the circumstance that the personnel of the brigade is in the coming year due for drafting to other service in a training brigade, the renewed perambulation of the latter can be countermanded or modified; and, seeing that these frequent moves cannot be said to be demanded by the exigencies of the service, but are due rather to the faulty inception of the scheme for the Special Reserve, whether it is in contemplation, in the event of the prescribed move this year being carried out, to offer any monetary compensation to the personnel of the brigade for the expense to which it will have been put?
§ Mr. HALDANEThe moves of this brigade are practically as stated and have been dictated by military exigencies. The move from Ipswich to Newcastle follows from the scheme of redistribution of troops and formation of cavalry depots recently promulgated. The move will not take place before the autumn, so far as is now settled. The moves have no connection whatever with the Special Reserve. It is not contemplated to offer any monetary compensation as suggested.