Mr. BEN NETT-GOLDNEYasked the Secretary of State for War (1) if, as the result of the seventy-two field batteries being brought up to a higher establishment as a whole than they were, there will be 584 more men in these batteries; if at the same time he will give the establishment for the year ending 31st March, 1913, of officers, of non-commissioned officers; and of men, respectively, of the twenty-one field batteries serving at Home on the higher establishment, the sixty field batteries serving at Home on the lower establishment, and the eighteen batteries of the training brigade; if he will give the present (July, 1913) figures, or, if the figures for July are not yet available, for June, 1913, of the seventy-two field batteries serving at Home on the higher establishment, the fifteen field batteries serving at Home on the lower establishment, and the twelve depot batteries serving at Home; (2) whether the figures given in the Memorandum relating to the Army Estimates, 1913–14, page that the savings made in the training brigades and depots will enable the Secretary of State to place the whole of the seventy-two batteries of the Expeditionary Force, of which fifty-one are now on a four-gun peace establishment, on a uniform six-gun peace establishment of 158 all ranks and seventy-five horses, have been found to require revision and, if so, what; and if he will say how many of the fifty-one field batteries are at the present time actually in possession of the full complement of officers, of non-commissioned officers, of men, of guns, and of wagons, respectively, necessary for a six-gun peace establishment?
§ Mr. TENNANTAs I have informed the hon. Gentleman on a previous occasion, I am not prepared to publish any details concerning the composition of the Expeditionary Force. As regards establishments, the hon. Gentleman will find the information he requires on page 14 of this year's and of last year's Estimates. The reply to the first part of the question is in the negative.