§ Mr. DOUGLAS HALLasked the Under-Secretary for War, with reference to the notices in the "London Gazette," dated 29th August, under the head of the Princess Beatrice's Isle of Wight Rifles, 8th battalion the Hampshire Regiment, to be captains, Lieutenants C. Ratsey, A. S. Little (late lieutenant Imperial Yeomanry), 29th August; the following lieutenants to be lieutenants, G. C. Loader and C. S. Pittis, 29th August; the following to be second lieutenants, A. T. Vesey (late captain 1st Herts Volunteer battalion Bedford Regiment), J. H. Bromhead, G. C. Seeley, W. B. Bartlett; to be supernumerary, J. D. Anderson, D. E. Carley, 29th August; whether Lieutenant Ratsey has passed for promotion, and whether the officer commanding this regiment recommended this officer for promotion; if, in the case of Captain A. S. Little, his appointment should read from 1st August, 1914, as this officer joined for duty on 5th August; if the officer commanding the regiment sent a recommendation for Captain N. Deakin (late North Devon Yeomanry) for appointment as captain to complete establishment, and this officer joined for duty on 5th August, and therefore the date of his commission should read 1st August, 1914, and this notification should appear in place of that relating to Lieutenant C. Ratsey on 29th August; if the date of promotion of Second Lieutenant Loader should be the 18th April, 1914, vice Lieutenant Ellery promoted; if Second Lieutenant C. Pittis has qualified for promotion, and there is no vacancy for him to fill; if the date of appointment of Second Lieutenant Vesey should be 8th August, 1914, as this officer joined for duty on 15th August; if the date of appointment of Second Lieutenant Seeley should be 3rd August, 1914, as this officer joined for duty on 5th August; and if the commanding officer has vacancies for the following second lieutenants, J. P. Bronhead, W. B. Bartlett, J. D. Anderson, and D. E. Carley; if the following officers were recommended by the commanding officer for the following, Captain C. W. Vincent, late 8th Hants, to be captain-quarter master, Mr. H. B. Harrison to be second lieutenant, Mr. R. H. Curtis to be second lieutenant; and if the War Office knew on or about 13th August that there was only 789W one vacancy for a second lieutenant in this battalion; and will he say why the recommendations of the officer commanding the regiment, who is responsible for his officers, are not considered; why his letters to the War Office have not yet been answered although written nine or ten days ago; why there are so many obvious clerical mistakes in the "Gazette"; whether he is aware of complaints throughout the Territorial service of the carelessness and inefficiency of the War Office Department dealing with the appointment of Territorial officers; and if he will inquire into the matter and take steps to insure that this Department carries out its duties in a more reasonable and efficient manner?
§ Mr. TENNANTI am aware that there has been some delay in dealing with appointments to commissions, but I think more allowance should be made for the difficulties involved in suddenly filling up a deficiency of some 2,000 officers in the Territorial Force. The policy of the War Office has been, while giving every consideration to the recommendations of commanding officers and county associations as such, to give priority to gentlemen having previous military training over nominees who had no such training. The names of the latter have, however, been recorded, and all steps that are possible will be taken to gazette them as soon as possible. I cannot enter into all the points of detail set out at length in the question.