HC Deb 29 May 1916 vol 82 cc2378-9
77. Sir CHARLES HENRY

asked the Under-Secretary of State for War if he will state the number of gentlemen of military age engaged in the War Office or in work connected with that Department to whom temporary commissions have been granted but who had no military experience previous to the War and have since not been under military training; and whether steps are being taken to release these gentlemen and to replace them by men not of military age?

Mr. TENNANT

My hon. Friend presumably refers to those cases where temporary commissions have been given to gentlemen possessing special qualifications the possession of which renders them of greater value to the country when employed at the War Office, where their special qualifications have scope, than if employed outside it under conditions where their special qualifications will not find scope. My hon. Friend will see that a waste of effort would be involved if the process he recommends in the last paragraph of his question were applied to these gentlemen.

Mr. KING

Can a list be published of these gentlemen with special knowledge of value to the State, so that their services might be recognised and known to the public?

Mr. TENNANT

I do not see that any object would be gained by that.