§ 73. Brigadier-General NATIONasked the Financial Secretary to the War Office what steps are being taken or are contemplated to remedy the fact that the strength of the Regular Army is 30,500 and the Territorial Army 40,000 below that authorised in the Army Estimates for the current year?
§ The FINANCIAL SECRETARY to the WAR OFFICE (Mr. Duff Cooper)My hon. and gallant Friend appears to have compared the strength of the Regular Army at home with the establishment both at home and abroad (exclusive of India). The actual deficit on the 1st March was about 8,000 as anticipated in the Secretary of State's memorandum on Estimates and it is expected that this deficit will be reduced during the present year. As regards the Territorial Army, I would refer him to page 61 of the Estimates. On 1st March, the deficit in the strength for which money has been provided amounted to about 4,000.