§ 21. Sir J. NORTON-GRIFFITHSasked the Secretary of State for War how many officers still hold temporary commissions in the Army and draw pay thereunder; whether there are enough surplus Regular officers to take their places, and, if not, why such temporary officers have not been regularly commissioned; whether Regular officers and regiments about to be disbanded will be given preference to such temporarily commissioned officers; and, in view of this disbanding of Regular units, whether he can say how many temporarily commissioned officers will be retained?
§ Sir L. WORTHINGTON-EVANSThe number of temporary officers serving with the Regular Army on the 1st March last, including a few Militia and Territorial Army officers, was 1,767. They are retained for Royal Engineer, Royal Army Service Corps, and similar technical duties for which no sufficient number of Regular officers are at present qualified. It would be uneconomical to grant permanent commissions in respect of the whole of this work, since much of it is of a temporary nature. I am unable to say at present whether any of the 1117 officers in question may have to be permanently commissioned, but, other things being equal, existing Regular officers would naturally be employed and retained in preference to them.
§ Sir L. WORTHINGT0N-EVANSThere are none in the cavalry. I think there are four in the infantry, who have special legal knowledge.
§ Lieut.-Colonel FREMANTLEAre there also no medical officers being employed, and preventing the promotion of some of the senior majors in the Royal Army Medical Corps?
§ Sir L. WORTHINGTON-EVANSI am not sure of that. If my hon. and gallant Friend will put down a question specifically referring to medical officers, I will reply to it.