THE EARL OF STRADBROKEMy Lords, I rise to ask the Under-Secretary of State for War if he can hold out any hopes that the allowance of 2s. 6d. per day for Volunteers attending regimental camps will be increased or if separation allowances will be granted to married Volunteers attending these camps. Your Lordships are aware of the difficulties that officers in Volunteer Corps have experienced in taking the requisite number of men into camp, and I venture to think that, if the allowance was increased or a separation allowance granted to married Volunteers attending the regimental camps, Commanding Officers would be relieved of a considerable amount of anxiety, and the force generally would be rendered more efficient by better attendance in camp. Not only are the men called upon to give up a considerable amount of their leisure time to attend drills and parades in the afternoon and evening, but they are also called upon to attend camp on six consecutive days, at least every alternate year. This means a considerable sacrifice of time to the Volunteers, and it must be borne in 377 mind that during the period they are in camp they do not earn any wages. It is therefore a considerable pecuniary sacrifice that they are called upon to make. In some cases, however, employers are so patriotic that they not only offer every opportunity they can to men to attend camp, but pay their wages during the time they are in camp. I am aware that the Army Estimates have been presented, and that the noble Earl, the Under-Secretary of State for War, may say he is unable to undertake anything that would entail any great increase in expenditure; but I trust that even if the first part of my Question meets with a negative reply the second part may be more fortunate. We are aware that a Royal Commission is sitting at the present moment on the question of the Auxiliary Forces, and that it will presumably report during this session; but, whatever their Report may be, I conclude that Volunteer camps will be held this year as usual, and that it will be necessary for at least 50 per cent, of the Volunteers to attend. I have referred to the sacrifices that the Volunteers are called upon to make, but the loss of money presses most heavily en the married Volunteers; and therefore I think it would be well if the War Office could see their way to grant them separation allowances. The cost to the country would not be very large, and it would enable many men who at present do not feel able to attend the camps to do so. This is the time when camps are being arranged for, and if the noble Earl could see his way to give a favourable answer to my Question I am sure a good many men who are now hesitating as to whether or not they can attend camp, will decide to do so. On this ground, and with the view of encouraging the greatest possible number of Volunteers to attend the camps during this summer, I would urge the noble Earl to give a favourable answer at least to the second part of my Question.
THE UNDER-SECRETARY OF STATE FOR WAR (The Earl of DONOUGHMORE)My Lords, I can assure the noble Earl that my colleagues on the Army Council fully share the anxiety of all commanding officers to get their 378 men to attend camp. We recognise that there are great difficulties in the way, and we fully appreciate the efforts that are made by commanding officers to carry out the regulations. The noble Earl has suggested two alternatives which I have no doubt would be of great use in this direction. With regard to the first, he has pointed out that the Army Estimates have been introduced and that there is no provision in them for raising the camp allowance; and I would remind the noble Earl that the same difficulty applies to the second alternative with regard to the granting of separation allowances, for it would equally involve a very considerable charge on the Estimates. The fact that the Army Estimates have already been introduced in another place constitutes a difficulty in the way of the immediate adoption of either of the alternatives proposed. It is not, however, on this technical objection that I mainly rely in refusing the noble Earl's request. As he has pointed out, a Royal Commission is now considering the whole question of the Volunteers, and pending their Report it would scarcely be advisable for the War Office to carry out either of these alternatives, which would involve a great departure from the established practice.