HL Deb 29 April 1913 vol 14 cc346-8

THE EARL OF PORTSMOUTH rose to ask His Majesty's Government—

1. What was the strength of the Territorial Force 071 March 31, 1913.

2. How many recruits joined the Force between March 31, 1912, and March 31, 1913.

3. How many trained men left the Force between those dates, and how many of these joined the Territorial Force Reserve.

4. What is the strength of the Territorial Force Reserve by the latest returns available.

5. What is the number of officers, warrant officers, sergeants, and rank and file registered by Territorial Force Associations under Class II of the National Reserve Regulations as medically fit and willing to join a combatant unit for Home Defence.

6. What was the cost per individual in the Territorial Force for the year ended March 31, 1913.

The noble Earl said: In my first Question I ask what was the strength of the Territorial Force on March 31 last. The object of Questions 2, 3, and 4 is to show what proportion of trained men have joined the Territorial Force Reserve. It has been stated—I was very glad to see the statement, and rejoiced in it—that recruiting on the whole has been satisfactory, but it must always be borne in mind that recruits qua recruits are not of any immediate use as a weapon of military service. As to Question No. 5 perhaps I should remind your Lordships that Class II refers to officers, warrant officers, and sergeants under fifty-five years of age, and to rank and file under fifty. Under those Regulations also it is permitted to Territorial Associations to register National Reservists in numbers equal to the difference between the war establishment and the present total strength of the Territorial Force units allotted to the county plus an excess of 25 per cent. on establishments. As to Question No. 6, it was in November last, I think, that I addressed to my noble friend Lord Herschel—who we very much regret is unable to be in his place on account of illness—a Question regarding the cost of the Territorial Force for the year ended March 31, 1912. On that occasion Lord Herschell said the estimated cost for 1911–12 was£3,200,000. We know that the number of men of the Territorial Force who may be reasonably stated to be the most efficient, or certainly the least inefficient. portion of the Force are those men who have done the not very strenuous or exorbitant amount of fifteen days and over in camp; and the number of officers and men who in 1912 were fifteen days and over in camp was approximately 162,000 out of the total Force. The information I ask for is the cost per individual in the Territorial Force for the year ended March 31 last. That, of course, would include a large number of men who, by the figures which were given to me in the autumn, are certainly not efficient soldiers; and I think it is desirable that the country should get some idea as to what is the cost per individual of the Territorial Force.

EARL BEAUCHAMP

The answer to Question No. 1 is that the strength of the Territorial Force on April 1, 1913, amounted to 9,299 officers and 244,510 non-commissioned officers and men. As to Question No. 2, between April 1, 1912, and March 31 last 61,307 recruits and 3,385 men with previous service, amounting to 64,692 in all, joined the Force. In answer to Question 3 I have to say that there are no statistics to show the number of trained men who left the Force during the period referred to. The total net waste from all causes was 89,355, including 62,309 discharged on termination of engagement. The number who joined the Territorial Force Reserve between April 1, 1912, and March 31 of this year was approximately 500. To Question No. 4 the reply is that the strength of the Territorial Force Reserve on April 1, 1913, amounted to 368 officers and 976 non-commissioned officers and men. As regards the National Reserve, dealt with in the next Question on the Paper, no statistics are available at present, and none will be available until the special returns to be furnished on June 1 are received. In reply to Question No. 6, the estimated cost per head in the Territorial Force is about£12.