§ Mr. TOUCHEasked the Secretary of State for War (1) whether a sergeant instructor who joined the permanent staff of a Territorial Force unit, Royal Garrison Artillery, before 1st September, 1910, cannot hope to obtain a staff-sergeant's pension within his twenty-one years' service; if so, will steps be taken to consider whether this disability can be righted; (2) whether sergeants posted to a Territorial Force unit prior to 1st September, 1910, are struck off the roll for promotion, and such sergeants have no further chance of promotion within their twenty-one years' service, whereas sergeants posted to the permanent staff after 1st September, 1910, are kept on the roll for promotion and would, if recommended, take their turn for promotion; if so, will he take steps to remedy this disability from which many able and deserving men are suffering; and (3) whether sergeants of the Regular units serving with their batteries are being promoted staff sergeants although junior in rank to those serving on the permanent staff of the Territorial Force unit, Royal Garrison Artillery; and whether, being thus posted to the permanent staff of a Territorial Force unit, they would, by virtue of being staff sergeants, become senior to those sergeant instructors who were very much their senior in the sergeants' rank?
§ Colonel SEELYSergeant instructors appointed to the permanent staff of the Territorial Force cannot, under paragraph 353 King's Regulations, be promoted staff sergeants until they have completed twenty-one years' service, and cannot252W qualify for pension as such until they have completed that period of service. Sergeants of Regular units, who may be posted to the Territorial Force under the new arrangements, are promoted as vacancies occur. The new system of posting was adopted in order to secure better instructors for the Teritorial Force. Those sergeants appointed to the Territorial Force before 1st September, 1910, were fully aware of the conditions then existing and volunteered for the posts.