§ Mr. HOHLERasked the Secretary of State for War whether his attention has been called to the fact that in the armourers' section of the Army Ordnance Corps there are about 320 staff sergeants and only thirty-nine quartermaster-sergeants and twenty sergeant-majors, and that a staff-sergeant has to wait eighteen years or upwards for his promotion; and whether he will consider the reorganisation of the section on the lines of the machinery artificer section or the Army Pay Corps, or take some steps to accelerate the promotion of staff-sergeants?
§ Mr. HALDANEThe reason why there are so many armourers serving as staff-sergeants and why they have to spend so long a time in that rank is that in the Army Ordnance Corps an armourer starts as a staff-sergeant, whereas in other services he would have to serve first in the rank of private, corporal, and sergeant. I am 409W not prepared, as at present advised, to consider a reorganisation of the section on the lines suggested by the hon. Member.