§ Sir W. RUTHERFORDasked the Secretary of State for War whether, having regard to his letter of 24th August, 1921, he is yet in a position to give some assurances on the subject of making the promotion of senior officers reasonably equitable as between the Royal Field Artillery and the Royal Garrison Artillery; whether he is aware that the minimum of promotion to the rank of lieutenant-colonel in the Royal Field Artillery is now 20 years and two months, whereas in the Royal Garrison Artillery it is 24 years and four months, and as respects the rank of major in the Royal Field Artillery it is nine years and one month as against 14 years and two months in the Royal Garrison Artillery; whether he is aware of the continuing sense of injustice felt by the senior officers of the Royal Garrison Artillery in this matter; and whether he is prepared to take any, and, if so, what steps to remedy what is felt to be almost an intolerable injustice?
§ Sir L. WORTHINGTON-EVANSI am aware of the facts as to length of service which are indicated in the question, but in view of the pending reductions in the commissioned ranks generally, to which I referred in the answer to my hon. and gallant Friend the Member for Melton on 21st February, I regret that I am not in a position to give assurances of the character referred to. The rate of pro- 2115W motion in the Royal Field Artillery has recently been rapid, but that of the Royal Garrison Artillery, in comparison with other arms of the service, has not been slow, and I do not think that the officers in question are being dealt with unjustly.