Sitting of 4 March 1914

Preamble
The LORD CHANCELLOR acquainted the House, That the Clerk of the Parliaments had laid upon the Table the Certificate from the Examiners that the Standing Orders applicable to the following Bill have not been complied with:
Norwich Electric Tramways.
Also a Special Report from the Examiners under Standing Order 78 with respect to the
Ancient Monuments Preservation Order Confirmation (No. 1) Bill. [H.L.]
The said Report to be printed, and referred to the Standing Orders Committee on Tuesday next. (No. 18.)

STANDING ORDERS COMMITTEE.
Report from, That the Standing Orders not complied with in respect of the
Belfast Corporation Bill [H.L.]
ought to be dispensed with, and the Bill allowed to proceed:
That the Standing Orders not complied with in respect of the
Skegness Urban District Council Bill [H.L.]
ought to be dispensed with and the Bill allowed to proceed subject to Clause 64 being struck out of the Bill:
And that the Standing Orders not complied with in respect of the
Leeds Corporation Bill [H.L.]
ought to be dispensed with and the Bill allowed to proceed:
Read, and agreed to.

BUTTERLEY COMPANY.
(Petition for Bill.)
NEWCASTLE-UPON-TYNE CORPORATION.

  SHEFFIELD CORPORATION.
  NORWICH ELECTRIC TRAMWAYS.
  Examiner's Certificates of non-compliance with the Standing Orders referred to the Standing Orders Committee on Tuesday next.

EDENBRIDGE AND DISTRICT GAS BILL. [H.L.]
The meeting of the Standing Orders Committee (which stands appointed for this day) put off to Tuesday next.
LLANFAELOG WATER BILL. [H.L.]
  BRITISH GAS LIGHT COMPANY (HULL STATION) BILL. [H.L.]

    STONE GAS AND ELECTRICITY BILL. [H.L.]
    NEWPORT CORPORATION BILL. [H.L.]
    READING CORPORATION BILL. [H.L.]
    SOUTH WESTERN AND ISLE OF WIGHT JUNCTION RAILWAY BILL. [H.L.]
    Report from the Committee of Selection, That the following Lords be proposed to the House to form the Select Committee for the consideration of the said Bills; (viz.),

    M. Bath (Chairman),

    E. Onslow,

    E. Harrowby,

    L. O'Hagan,

    L. Avebury;

    agreed to; and the said Lords appointed accordingly: The Committee to meet on Wednesday the 18 th instant next, at Eleven o'clock; and all Petitions referred to the Committee, with leave to the Petitioners praying to be heard by Counsel against the Bills to be heard as desired, as also Counsel for the Bills.

GREAT EASTERN RAILWAY BILL. [H.L.]
Report from the Committee of Selection, That the Earl of Northesk be proposed to the House as a Member of the Select Committee on the said Bill in the place of the Earl of Leicester; read, and agreed to.
MEXBOROUGH WATER BILL. [H.L.]
Second Reading (which stands appointed for this day) put off to Monday next.
MOVABLE DWELLINGS BILL. [H.L.]
A Bill to provide for the Regulation of Movable Dwellings—Was presented by the Lord Clifford of Chudleigh; read la, and to be printed. (No. 19.)

SCOTTISH INSURANCE COMPANIES (SUPERANNUATION FUND) ORDER CONFIRMATION BILL. [H.L.]
Order of the Day for the Third Reading read.
Moved, That the Bill be now read 3a.— (Lord Emmott.)
On Question, Bill read 3a.
THE UNDER-SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE COLONIES (LORD EMMOTT): My Lords, there are a number of Amendments standing on the Paper in my name. They make a necessary alteration in a date, remedy some slight inconsistencies in the Bill, and otherwise carry out recommendations of the Board of Trade effecting certain improvements. With your Lordships' permission I propose to move them en bloc.
Amendments moved—
Title, page 2, line 5, leave out ("permanent")
Preamble, page 2, line 13, leave out ("permanent").
Clause 3, page 3, line 21, leave out ("permanent")
Clause 3, page 3, line 25, leave out ("January") and insert ("May").
Clause 15, page, 6, line 22, leave out ("January") and insert ("May").
Clause 17, page 7, line 2, leave out from ("Void") to the end of the clause.
Clause 20, page 7, line 33, leave out ("permanent").
Clause 26, page 10, line 2, after ("committee") insert as a new clause:
Application of Assurance Companies Act, 1909, in certain events.
27. Nothing in this Order shall be deemed to authorise the Committee or the Fund to carry on any class of assurance business as defined in the Assurance Companies Act, 1909, or shall be deemed to exempt the Committee or the Fund from the provisions of that Act or of any general Act relating to assurance companies in the event of their carrying on such business.
Clause 27, page 10, line 8, leave out ("January") and insert ("May").
Second Schedule, page 11, line 12, leave out from ("as") to the end of the schedule, and insert ("the incapacity lasts").—(Lord Emmott.)
On Question, Amendments agreed to. Bill passed and sent to the Commons.

THE ARMY.
THE EARL OF PORTSMOUTH: My 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 PORTSMOUTH: Did the noble Lord say that only eleven of these horses belonged to Government?
LORD LUCAS: Yes; horses belonging to the Regular Army that were lent for the purpose.
VISCOUNT MIDLETON: Can the noble Lord tell us how many of the hired horses were hired more than once by different regiments?
LORD LUCAS: No, I cannot.
LORD CLIFFORD OF CHUDLEIGH: Did I understand the noble Lord to say that only 88 horses were the property of County Associations?
LORD LUCAS: Yes, 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 PORTSMOUTH: Might 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.
LORD LUCAS: Yes, we will issue the figures as a White Paper.

MONEY-LENDERS BILL. [H.L.]
Read 3a (according to Order), and passed and sent to the Commons.
House adjourned at twenty minutes before Five o'clock, till To-morrow, half-past Ten o'clock.