§ Mr. FETHERSTONHAUGHasked the Secretary of State for War whether it is 1325W proposed to make any increase in the pay of instructors of the Officers' Training Corps; has there been any difficulty under present conditions of pay and service in obtaining suitable instructors; and have the officers themselves been obliged to pay instructors out of their own funds?
The HON. MEMBERalso asked the Secretary of State what is the extra pay allowed to an instructor in the Officers' Training Corps; would a colour-sergeant, if transferred as instructor, lose 7s. a week thereby, or how much; is a non-commissioned officer transferred to the Officers' Training Corps struck off the strength of his own regiment and thereby deprived of chances of promotion therein, and in what way is he recompensed for such loss; will he consider the desirability of attracting the best non-commissioned officers to the corps by making the conditions of service therein at least as attractive as with their regiments; is a sergeant-major allowed to each senior division of the Officers' Training Corps, and, if not, will he consider the expediency of an alteration?
§ Mr. HALDANEInstructors of the Officers' Training Corps are paid, generally, at the same rates as instructors of Territorial units. No extra pay is given from Army funds except in the case of contingents with three or more instructors on the establishment, and with a total strength exceeding 300 cadets, when one of the instructors may be appointed acting sergeant-major, with additional pay of 6d. daily, and 1d. daily additional clothing allowance. It is not considered desirable to appoint acting sergeant-majors in the case of contingents with a total strength not exceeding 300 cadets. Payment may, however, be made from the funds of a contingent for work outside the scope of an instructor's normal duties (such as cleaning of arms or clerical work), the rates generally sanctioned being those allowed under the Regulations for the Territorial Forces for instructors of that force.
As regards the loss of 7s. a week, referred to, the regimental pay of a colour-sergeant of infantry is 3s. 6d. daily, and if he is also the non-commissioned officer who keeps the pay and mess books of a company he receives 6d. daily additional pay. As instructor in the Officers' Training Corps (or Territorial Force) his pay is 3s. daily. This was the rate of pay of colour-sergeants, whether serving regimentally or on the permanent staff of volunteer corps, prior to 1906, when 6d. a day was added to their pay, when 1326W employed regimentally, in view of the heavy and continuous nature of company work and the responsibilities involved. As colour-sergeants have not these specially heavy duties when employed extra-regimentally, their pay as instructors remains at the former rate of 3s. Any additional pay drawn for keeping the regimental company mess book is, of course, dropped, if appointment as an instructor is accepted. There has been no difficulty hitherto in obtaining suitable non-commissioned officers, but in order that the appointments may be open to the best non-commissioned officers, it has been arranged that all noncommissioned officers not below the permanent rank of sergeant may be considered eligible for appointment irrespective of length of service. There is no information to show that officers find it necessary to supplement the pay of instructors from their own private funds. All sergeant-instructors become supernumerary to the establishment of their regular corps, and their promotion, on the permanent staff of the Officers' Training Corps and the Territorial Force, is governed by paragraph 351 of the King's Regulations which deals with their cases.
The whole question of the pay and position generally of sergeant instructors was very carefully considered in connection with the Territorial Force. Any divergence from the rates prescribed for other non-commissioned officers of the regular Army is accounted for by corresponding differences in the nature of the duties and conditions. There are considerable advantages to a senior non-commissioned officer in the settled life and relief from foreign service which appointment as an instructor affords, while they have also the chance of serving for a longer period with the colours than they would have if with their regiments.