§ Sir SAMUEL SCOTTasked the Under-Secretary of State for War whether he can state how many of the 32,000 men of the Territorial Army absent from camp this year, were prevented from attending owing to leave being refused by their employers?
§ Colonel SEELYI regret that there are no statistics available at the War Office to enable me to give the required information.
§ Mr. MacCALLUM SCOTTasked the Under-Secretary of State for War by what procedure, whether by correspondence or by conference, the Government, in concert with the county associations, is now considering the whole question of the recruiting of the Territorial Force; when he expects to have arrived at definite conclusions on the matter; and whether he will consider the advisability of appointing a committee to report on the various suggestions which have been made?
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§ Colonel SEELYThe county associations were invited by a circular letter to make suggestions on the question of recruiting for the Force. The various suggestions received are now being considered, and definite conclusions will shortly be reached. Frequent conferences have taken place between the various departments concerned, and deputations have been received from representative bodies, and I do not therefore consider that a special committee is necessary at present.
§ Mr. J. WARDasked the Under-Secretary of State for War: (1) Whether he has received any communications from the commanding officers of the London Territorial Forces calling attention to the impossibility of married men attending camp for a fortnight until some better provision than 1s. per day is made for the maintenance of their wives and families; and, if so, what action he proposes to take in the matter? (2) Whether the War Office are considering the question of a revision of the scales of pay for members of the Territorial Forces; and whether it is proposed to make any provision to enable poor men to become members without making them pay a toll on their wages for so doing? (3) Whether the War Office has received complaints from the London Territorial Forces of the difficulty of some members of the Force finding the fares for attending drills and ranges; and, if so, what action he proposes to take in the matter? And (4) whether his Department have had their attention drawn to the possibility of shrinkage by lack of recruiting in the numbers of the Territorial Army; whether the failure to secure recruits is entirely due to the fact that to join the Territorial Army means a financial liability to every poor member; and whether his Department are considering some alteration in the scales which will make it unnecessary for a recruit to pay for belonging to the Territorial Army?
§ Colonel SEELYVarious proposals, including those suggested in my hon. Friend's questions, for encouraging recruiting in the Territorial Force have been received from county associations, and are now being carefully considered. I am not therefore at present in a position to make any statement on the subject.