§ Mr. SAMUEL ROBERTSasked the Secretary of State for War whether his attention has been called to the hardship caused to, and to the probable detrimental 1327W effect on, the Special Reserve by the issuing of the Western Command Orders of the 19th instant, paragraph 3, whereby information is given that the conditions regarding proficiency pay issued by the Command Orders of 18th June, 1909, paragraph 5, are not applicable to the Special Reserve; and whether he will take steps to have such Order cancelled or modified?
§ Mr. HALDANEThe conditions for proficiency pay have been somewhat relaxed temporarily in the case of the Regular forces in view of the more stringent musketry standards to avoid loss of proficiency pay which would otherwise have happened in many cases. The special reservist never drew proficiency pay before this year, and the higher musketry standard does not, therefore, inflict any loss on him in this respect. There is, accordingly, no intention of modifying the present arrangements.