Mr. EDMUND HARVEYasked the Secretary of State for War (1) whether he has had brought to his notice any case of a soldier of good character who, after completion of twenty-one years' service, has been unable to obtain any pension; and (2) whether an official pamphlet was issued by the War Office about the year 1893 stating that men belonging to the "Royal Northern Reserve might qualify for a pension by re-enlisting for periods of two years at a time until the completion of fourteen years' colour service, and promising that, if prevented from completing this period of colour service by reason of their attaining the age of forty-five years, they should be transferred to a special reserve in order to complete twenty-one years of service from the date of their first entering the Army, all previous periods of service being counted towards this?
§ Colonel SEELYIn the case of men of the Royal Garrison Regiment to which these questions refer a total service of twenty-one years of which fourteen years must be colour service was necessary to earn pension. These questions would appear to refer to a particular class of men who entered the regiment under the Royal Warrant of 28th February, 1903, and who were prevented by the age limit of forty-five then imposed from completing fourteen years' colour service. These men could go on to the Reserve division of the Militia, but service in that capacity did not count towards the fourteen years' colour service.