§ 25. Colonel YATEasked the Financial Secretary to the War Office if he is now in a position to say whether men of the National Reserve who joined up at the outbreak of war for one year or for a second year if the War still continued will, on the termination of their two years' service, if not yet forty-one years of age, be kept on and come under the same conditions as the Regular soldier and be entitled to a bounty and furlough on completing their two years' service at the front?
§ Mr. FORSTERMen serving on a one-year engagement, whether National Reservists or not, will, if under the age of forty-one, be retained in the Army under the Military Service Act. They are not, however, eligible for the bounty given to men who were serving on an Army engagement when the War broke out and have since become time-expired.
§ Colonel YATEWhy are they not eligible?
§ Mr. FORSTERMy hon. and gallant Friend will remember that at the time the bounty was given it was' intended to be given to those men who were serving at the outbreak of the War and since then have become time-expired.