§ 78. Mr. CROOKSasked the Secretary of State for War whether his attention has been drawn to the distinctions in status between the Regular officers of the executive branch of the Royal Army Ordnance Corps commissioned from the ranks, on the one hand, and of the Regular administrative officers and temporary officers of that corps, on the other hand; whether he will state the reasons for such distinctions in view of the fact that, in all emergencies and practically throughout the campaign, important administrative work has necessarily been performed by the former class; whether he is aware that while the promotion of administrative and temporary officers has been comparatively rapid that of Regular executive officers has been even 2033 slower than under normal peace conditions, while they have frequently had to train temporary officers in their duties and then relinquish administrative positions and acting or temporary rank in favour of the latter; whether he will furnish a statement of the average period of promotion in the classes referred to throughout the campaign; and whether, in view of the present expedient of granting the rank of major to an executive officer after thirteen years of commissioned service, he will state what percentage of executive officers have thus attained tills rank?
§ Mr. CHURCHILLThe answer to this question is somewhat lengthy, and I propose, with my right hon. Friend's permission, to circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT.
§ The following is the Answer referred to:
§ As regards the general question of the status of these officers, I would refer my right hon. Friend to the very full answer given to a similar question asked by my Noble and gallant Friend the Member for Aldershot on the 18th February. It was there explained that the executive officers, who are normally commissioned from among the warrant officers of the corps, are designed to superintend or carry out the executive work of the corps, under the orders of the specially selected and technically trained combatant officers who constitute the administrative or directing staff. Officers well qualified for executive duties have not necessarily the qualifications for administrative employment of an important character. It is, however, under consideration as a tentative measure, in the future constitution of the Corps, to extend to certain carefully selected executive officers the same facilities for acquiring technical and administrative training as are enjoyed by entrants from elsewhere. In the answer referred to, it was also explained that the "temporary" officers appointed during the War were selected from men whose previous business or professional training gave promise of their being able, after preliminary training, materially to assist in the administrative work of the Corps.
§ I regret that the figures my right hon. Friend asks for in the latter part of his question are not readily available, but I may say that as regards substantive promotion, both administrative and executive Regular officers, though serving under quite different conditions, have through- 2034 out the War been treated alike in that such promotion has been limited to the filling of vacancies in the peace establishments of each class. All executive officers who complete the qualifying period of thirteen years commissioned service are, if recommended, granted the rank of major.