§ Mr. BENNETT-GOLDNEYasked the Under-Secretary of State for War, if he will give the number of officers for the Territorial Army; the number serving on the 1st February, 1912; the number of recruit officers who have qualified in the musketry course; the number of those who failed to qualify; of those who failed to complete the recruit officers' course; of those who have not yet commenced the recruit officers' course; and of those who are not required to undergo a musketry course; and if he will give the number of trained officers who have qualified in the musketry course; the number of those who failed to qualify; the number of those who failed to complete the annual course; and the number of those who are not required to undergo a musketry course?
1149W
§ Colonel SEELYThe establishment is 11,249, and the strength on 1st February was 9,385. The musketry statistics for officers are not reported separately and are included in those for the men which I have just given in replies to questions No. 127* and No. 128*.
§ Mr. BENNETT-GOLDNEYalso asked the Under-Secretary for War if he will give the number of recruits in the Territorial Force who have been tested in musketry; the number of men not yet tested; the number that have qualified in the whole recruits' course; the number who have failed to qualify; the number who did not complete the course; the number who have completed the recruits' course but have not fired the trained men's course; the number of recruits who have fired Table A, or part of Table A, on a thirty yards range; and the number of recruits who have fired their standard test on a thirty yards range?
§ Colonel SEELYThe figures available (inclusive of those for officers) are as follows:—
Tested 52,302 Not tested 8,080 Qualified 30,605 Failed 21,697 Qualified under paragraph 361 (3) T. F. Regulations 18,111 Recruits' and trained men's courses may not be fired in the same musketry year. Neither Table A nor the standard test can be fired on a thirty yards' range.
§ Mr. BENNETT-GOLDNEYlikewise asked the Under-Secretary if he will give the number of non-commissioned officers and men who have, in accordance with War Office Letter 104/T.F. /M.T.2., been certified as qualified by their commanding officers in musketry by reason of having fired fifty rounds of ball ammunition or their equivalent; the number of rounds of ball ammunition that has been commuted by units of the Territorial Force into Morris tube in accordance with War Office Letter 104/T.F.2/M.T.2, dated 13th November, 1908; and the number of non-commissioned officers and men in the Territorial Force who are not required to undergo any musketry training at all?
§ Colonel SEELYAs regards the first part of the question the figures for the musketry year 1910–11 are for recruits 18,111 and for trained men 13,248. As regards the second part of the question no1150W statistics are available at the War Office. As regards the last part of the question a musketry course is not compulsory for the Royal Horse and Royal Field Artillery, Royal Garrison Artillery (Mountain and Heavy Batteries) and Ammunition Columns, for whom a course is optional. Royal Army Medical Corps and Army Veterinary Service units do no musketry.
§ Mr. BENNETT-GOLDNEYalso asked the number of non-commissioned officers and men in the Territorial Army on 1st February last under twenty years of age?
§ Colonel SEELYStatistics for the ages of the Territorial Force are only supplied annually for the 1st October, and no figures can therefore be given for 1st February. The figures for 1st October, 1911, amounted to 64,939.