§ Colonel YATEasked how many lieutenants of the Royal Garrison Artillery would complete a total of eleven years' service this year (including service as second lieutenants); in what length of time it might reasonably be expected that the last of those officers would obtain their promotion to captain; and how that promotion would compare as regards length of service with the average length of service for promotion to captain now obtaining in the other branches of the service?
§ Colonel SEELY154 lieutenants will complete eleven years' service this year, and during this period twenty of them will be promoted in the ordinary course of events. It may be estimated that it will take about five years before the last of the subalterns who received their commissions in the Royal Garrison Artillery during 1900 will be promoted to the rank of captain, and this officer will then have between fifteen and sixteen years' service. It is not practicable to estimate what the average time for promotion to captain in the infantry and cavalry will be five years hence; at present the period is ten years, and is now increasing, for the infantry, and eight and a-half years for the cavalry.
§ Colonel YATECan the right hon. Gentleman do nothing to help the officers of the Royal Garrison Artillery?
§ Colonel SEELYI do not see what can be done in the present series of circumstances resulting in this block of promotion, of course not due to any fault of the officers themselves, but I believe it is inevitable. I will bear in mind the request of the hon. and gallant Gentleman.