HC Deb 02 April 1913 vol 51 cc371-3
38. Mr. BENNETT-GOLDNEY

asked whether in the Territorial Army there are still, including untrained recruits, 40,747 non-commissioned officers and men under nineteen years of age?

Colonel SEELY

There are no figures for ages available for a date later than the 1st October, 1912.

39. Mr. BENNETT-GOLDNEY

asked the Secretary of State for War how many men in the Territorial Army must be deducted from the number of effectives for casualties, or, if he is unable to give the number approximately, whether 10 per cent. is too small a number to deduct for casualties from the total number of effectives?

Colonel SEELY

No accurate figures are available, and I am not therefore in a position to give any reply to the points raised in the question.

40. Mr. BENNETT-GOLDNEY

asked whether the number of non-combatants in the Territorial Force is still under 13,000; if so, how many fewer than this number there are; and whether the number of non-effectives in the Territorial Army is 118,079, or fewer or more, and, if either, how many?

Colonel SEELY

The reply to the first part of the question is in the affirmative. As regards the last part of the question, I have nothing to add to the reply which I gave to a question on this subject put by the hon. Gentleman on 28th January.

41. Mr. BENNETT-GOLDNEY

asked whether the number of officers, non-commissioned officers, and men absent from camp last year was, in the Territorial Army, 6,056; whether the number of officers, non-commissioned officers, and men who failed to pass the standard test for musketry or did not fire was more than 58,000; and, if so, how many more?

Colonel SEELY

As regards the first part of the question, the numbers absent from camp will be found on page 109 of the Annual Return of the Territorial Force, Cd. No. 6657. As regards the last part of the question, the figures for the musketry course will be found in Command Paper 6616.

42. Mr. BENNETT-GOLDNEY

asked the Secretary of State for War whether, as 114,621 non-commissioned officers and men are due to become time expired between the 1st of October, 1912, and the 30th of September of this year, and as the wastage has been estimated during the same period from causes other than the expiration of the term of service at 27,600, he is able to give an approximate estimate of the number of vacancies for non-commissioned officers and men in the Territorial Army which may be expected to occur by 30th September, 1913, irrespective of the deficit of 27,600 non-commissioned officers and men in the establishment on the 1st of March last?

Colonel SEELY

I fear that I can add nothing to the reply which I gave to a similar question on this subject yesterday.