§ THE EARL OF PORTSMOUTHMy Lords, I beg to ask His Majesty's Government the following Questions—
§ I. Regular Army—
- 1. What is the present establishment.
- 2. What is the actual strength at present.
§ II. Special Reserve—
- 1. What is the present establishment.
- 2. What is the actual strength at present.
- 3. How many men in the Special Reserve at present are under 20 years of age.
§ III. Territorial Force—
- 1. What is the present establishment.
- 2. What is the actual strength at present.
- 3. How many men in the Territorial Force at present are under 20 years of age.
- 4. How many attended camp training for 15 days or over in 1913.
- 5. How many men were tested in musketry in the year ended 30th September, 1913; how many qualified, and how many failed.
- 6. How many battalions carried out field firing.
- 7. What was the number of horses in camp with the Yeomanry. Of these, how many were—
- (a) The property of officers, noncommissioned officers, and men;
- (b Hired;
- (c) The property of Government;
- (d) The property of the Associations.
THE PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY TO THE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE AND FISHERIES (LORD LUCAS)My Lords, the answers to the noble Earl's Questions are as follow: The establishment of the Regular Army is 10,547 officers and 233,218 non-commissioned officers and men, making a total of 243,765; the strength on February 1 was 10,431 officers and 223,995 non-commissioned officers and men, making a total of 234,426. The present establishment of the Special Reserve is 2,882 officers and 75,832 non-commissioned officers and men—total, 78,714; the strength on February 1 was 2,422 officers and 62,133 non-commissioned officers and' men, totaling 64,555. The number of non-commissioned officers and men in the Special Reserve under twenty years of age on October 1 last was 16,820.
375 I now come to the Territorial Force. The establishment on January 1 was 11,233 officers and 301,167 non-commissioned officers and men, making a total of 312,400; the strength on January 1 was 9,366 officers and 239,819 non-commissioned officers and men, making a total of 249,185. The number of non-commissioned officers and men under twenty years of age on October 1 last was 79,322. The numbers attending camp for fifteen days or over in 1913 were 7,099 officers and 157,827 non-commissioned officers and men. As to musketry, there were tested in the standard test 51,724 recruits and 112,987 trained men—total, 164,711. Of those, there qualified 42,213 recruits and 105,413 trained men, making a total of 147,626; and there failed 9,511 recruits and 7,574 trained men—total 17,085. The answer to the next Question is that 196 Infantry battalions carried out field firing during the musketry year 1912–13. The number of horses in camp with the Yeomanry in 1913 was 20,430. Of these 7,899 were the property of officers, non - commissioned officers, and men; 12,432 were hired; 11 were the property of Government; and 88 were the property of County Associations.
§ THE EARL OF PORTSMOUTHDid the noble Lord say that only eleven of these horses belonged to Government?
§ VISCOUNT MIDLETONCan the noble Lord tell us how many of the hired horses were hired more than once by different regiments?
§ LORD CLIFFORD OF CHUDLEIGHDid I understand the noble Lord to say that only 88 horses were the property of County Associations?
LORD LUCASYes, only 88 of the horses that went out to camp with the Yeomanry. Most of the horses belonging to County Associations are draft horses, which usually go to camp with Artillery or the Army Service Corps.
§ THE EARL of PORTSMOUTHMight I ask whether the Government will do in this case what they have done before with regard to other Questions which I have put to them—namely, issue the reply to the Questions as a White Paper. It would be very valuable if that could be done.