A NOBLE LORDIn the absence of my noble friend Viscount Galway, I beg to 1023 ask the Under Secretary of State for War when the new regulations for the Yeomanry are going to be issued.
§ *THE EARL OF HARDWICKEMy Lords, the last edition of the Yeomanry Regulations was issued in 1898. My right hon. friend the Secretary of State regrets very much that there should be any delay in issuing the new ones, which he is well aware are being anxiously awaited by officers of Yeomanry regiments. But there have been difficulties in the way of issuing these regulations which I will shortly explain. About a year ago it was found necessary, owing to matters brought to light in the South African war, to issue fresh regulations, and the authorities at the War Office revised the regulations of 1898. Those revised regulations were referred to a strong Committee, who not only considered them, but suggested fifteen or sixteen entirely new points which involved considerable expenditure and which have naturally been a matter of consideration between the War Office and the Treasury. These regulations are now in a form that would enable the Secretary of State in the ordinary course to issue them early in the coming year, but in the meantime the Secretary of State decided to appoint Advisory Boards for the Militia, Yeomanry, and Volunteers. These Boards consist of selected officers nominated by the Generals commanding the Army Corps, who will meet from time to time at the War Office. It is felt, in the interests of the Yeomanry, that these regulations should be considered by the Yeomanry Advisory Board, and that Board at this moment is being constituted. I think I may say that it is only a matter of, at the outside, a few weeks before the Board will be formed, but in order to avoid the delay which would occur before they were made public, it has been determined by my right hon. friend the Secretary of State to issue the regulations provisionally. All regiments will act upon them as if they were the final regulations, and when they have teen issued provisionally Yeomanry regiments will have an opportunity of seeing how they work, and through the Advisory Board will be able to make suggestions to the Secretary of State, by which he will 1024 be able to judge of their popularity and expediency. The final regulations will then be issued. The question of issuing the provisional regulations is really a question of the printers. It is rather a complicated matter for them to deal with, but they have practically promised that they will be ready by February 1, and it is my hope, as well as that of the Secretary of State, that by that date they will be in the hands of officers.
House adjourned at twenty-five minutes before Eight o'clock, till Tomorrow, Twelve o'clock.