HL Deb 11 July 1910 vol 6 cc61-2
THE DUKE OF BEDFORD

My Lords, I beg to ask the Under-Secretary of State for War the two Questions standing in my name on the Paper—viz.:

  1. 1. Is it the case that the standard test or part of standard test for musketry in the Territorial Army never has been and never can be fired on a thirty-yards range.
  2. 2. If the 1,520 officers and 21,980 noncommissioned officers and men of the Territorial Army who were absent from the annual training last year are again absent from the annual training of this year, is it proposed to retain them on the strength of their units. If it is considered desirable to dispense with their services, how is this to be effected in the case of—firstly, officers; secondly, non-commissioned officers and men.

LORD LUCAS

In reply to the noble Duke I have to say that it is not possible for either recruits or trained men to fire their standard test on a 30-yards range. The test is fired on an open range. Our acceptance of the words "open range" is a full length range. The test is a distance of 100 to 500 yards, according to Tables A and B of the Territorial Force Musketry Regulations. Trained recruits who do not pass the standard may make themselves efficient by making two additional attendances at a miniature or 30-yards range, provided they fire not less than fifty rounds of ammunition during the year. I would like to emphasise the fact, however, that they do not pass the standard test by doing that, although they do qualify for grants. That is a question which we discussed the other day. It is not taken as passing the standard test. In the case of recruits who are not considered competent to fire on an open range, or where congestion exists owing to lack of range accommodation, commanding officers may use their discretion. We permit that as a temporary expedient until the new ranges that we are providing arc established.

It is impossible to give the noble Duke a definite answer upon the second Question. We do not propose, at any rate at present, to lay down any definite rule on the point. There were last year this number of 21,000 non-commissioned officers and men absent from the annual training, and it is quite possible that a certain number of those men may be absent again this year. Their cases, however, will have to be considered individually before we take the extreme step of discharging them from the Force. There is this disadvantage which applies to the Territorial Force arid which applied also to the Volunteers, but which did not apply—I do not want to say anything in the least uncomplimentary—in anything like the same degree to the old Militia, or to the present Special Reserve; that is, that you recruit from a class of men for the Territorials who, in many cases, occupy responsible positions in private life, and you have got to pay a certain price for those men's brains. The price that you pay for getting that class of intelligent person is that they are by no means so certain of being able to come out for training as men of not 'quite the same social status; and a thing we have at the present time to consider, and, of course, we are always watching it, is to see that these men do not allow their private engagements to interfere too much with their military work. In such a case there is only one thing to be done, and that is for the man to be got rid of, and where there is no chance of a man bringing himself up to our standard of efficiency there is power under the Act to discharge either officer or man if it is thought necessary to do so.

House adjourned at Eight o'clock, till To-morrow, half past Ten o'clock.