§ 40. Captain WRIGHTasked the Under secretary of State for War whether experience has shown that the organisation of Army Artillery brigades, Royal Field Artillery, has given the advantages expected; and if he will say, since these brigades are employed under many different corps and divisional commanders 1963 within a comparatively short period of time, who is responsible for seeing that the same opportunities for promotion are available for their personnel as for the personnel of Divisional Artillery Brigades?
§ Mr. MACPHERSONI regret I cannot answer completely the first part of my hon. Friend's question without reference to the Military Authorities in France. I under stand, however, that these brigades have to a certain extent fulfilled their object, but that owing to tactical reasons or ex tension of front it has not been found possible to utilise them to enable Divisional Artillery to accompany their Infantry when withdrawn from the line in every case.
With regard to the second part of the question, the Major-General Royal Artillery of each Army and the Brigadier-General Royal Artillery of each Army Corps are responsible for the promotion of the personnel, and the opportunities for both officers and men are the same in these brigades as in the Divisional Artillery. I may add, as regards officers, that substantive promotion is on one general list for each corps of the Royal Artillery, but that in the case of acting promotion, which is normally carried out within the formation, there may be more chance in the Divisional Artillery, owing to the greater probability of casualties being more evenly distributed than in a brigade.