Mr. PIKE PEASEasked the Secretary of State for War whether, at the Royal Review of Territorials lately in Norwich, the Yeomanry were mounted by the 16th Lancers, and 170 horses were sent from Colchester that day for use of the Field Artillery, and that these same horses had done duty previously on three similar occasions?
§ Major ANSTRUTHER-GRAYasked the Secretary of State whether he can state how many horses were borrowed from the Regular cavalry for the use of the Yeomanry at the recent Royal review at Norwich; what proportion this was to the total number used by the Yeomanry on that day; how many Regular Artillery horses were used by the Territorials at the recent Royal Review on or about the 23rd October at Norwich; and what was the proportion of these horses to the total number of horses used with the Territorial Artillery on that day?
Captain CRAIGasked the Secretary of State whether he is aware that on the occasion of the recent Royal visit to Norwich the 170 horses in the guns of the Territorial Field Artillery were supplied by the Royal Field Artillery stationed at Colchester, and the King's Own Royal Regiment Norfolk Yeomanry were mounted by the 16th Lancers, stationed in Norwich; whether he is aware that, prior to the recent Army changes, the Norfolk Yeomanry was of greater strength than at present, and that most of the non-commissioned officers and troopers owned their own horses and frequently took two to camp; and can he explain why it is necessary now either to borrow mounts or to parade these mounted corps on foot?
§ Mr. HALDANENinety-five horses for the Yeomanry were supplied by the 15th2140W Lancers out of 400 on parade; 163 horses for the Artillery were supplied by the Royal Field Artillery out of 171 on parade. No information is available at the War Office to show whether they had done similar duty on previous occasions. The strength of the Yeomanry was only five less in 1909 than in 1907. At the annual training in camp in 1909 there were present 352 horses—and of these 150 were owned by officers and men, 173 were hired, and 29 were borrowed. No information is available in regard to the numbers of officers and men who owned their own horses and took two to camp in previous years. These horses required at the Royal visit were borrowed in order to save the cost of hiring and to save owners from taking their private horses away from their ordinary work.