HC Deb 12 December 1911 vol 32 c2121
Sir HILDRED CARLILE

asked the Under-Secretary of State for War whether, in view of the existing system of confidential reports on officers in the Army, sometimes required to be made by commanding officers recently transferred from other units, whose knowledge as to individual officers must therefore be more or less superficial, he would consider the advisability of abating or amending the present custom under which these reports are furnished?

Colonel SEELY

It is the custom for commanding officers when they have not served for a sufficiently long time to enable them to form a due appreciation of the character and qualifications of the officers under their command to refrain from expressing an opinion in the confidential report. In any case an officer is reported on by at least three senior officers, all of whom normally have knowledge of him?