Colonel PHILIPPSasked the Secretary of State for War whether there is any precedent for granting a medal to officers and men of a particular service when serving with their unit, while at the same time excluding officers and men of the same service serving at the same time and place but with units other than their own permanent units, as directed by Army Order 32 of 1902; and whether, having regard to the effect of this discrimination, he will take the necessary steps to put the matter in order?
Colonel PHILIPPSalso asked the Secretary of State for War whether he will reconsider the claims to the South African War medal of those Militia officers and men who volunteered during the war and were attached to regular units at Gibraltar and Malta and in Egypt, and place them under the same conditions as regards receiving the medal as those officers and men of the Militia who accompanied their own units to the same stations during the same period?
§ Mr. HALDANEIn regard to these questions, the matter was fully considered at the time and there is no intention of reconsidering the decision then reached. There does not appear to be any precedent for the action taken, as no similar case had previously occurred.