HC Deb 17 April 1913 vol 51 cc2143-4W
Mr. HADDOCK

asked the Secretary for War whether, in view of the fact that the permanent personnel of the Army Ordnance Depôts consists entirely of civilian employés, many of whom would, in the event of mobilisation, probably have to be relied upon to perform duties of a highly important character and possibly to fill superior positions, but who at the present time are absolutely debarred from entering the administrative or executive branches of the department, he will favourably consider the advisability of removing this restriction and introduce regulations authorising the establishment of a proportion of civil officers for each depôt having a status equivalent to that of commissaries of ordnance?

Mr. HAROLD BAKER

A number of officers, warrant officers, and other ranks of the Army Ordnance Department will remain at Ordnance Depôts on mobilisation, and the contingency suggested in the question will not therefore arise.