§ Mr. AMERYasked the Secretary of State for War in what manner, and how often, the secretaries of county associations check the registers of the National Reserve in order to ascertain the number of officers and men on their lists who have become from various causes no longer available for duty on mobilisation, and to ascertain that the same names do not appear on several registers?
§ Colonel SEELYUnder paragraph 20 of the Regulations recently issued it is provided that the officer carrying out the registration shall ascertain from the National Reservist that he is not already registered elsewhere. Further, the secretary will furnish an annual certificate of the numbers registered in the different classes.
§ Mr. AMERYasked the Secretary of State for War whether county associations will be held responsible for the accuracy of the registers of the National Reserve in their respective counties; and whether 722W the figure of 190,000 given by the Government as the strength of the National Reserve on 10th February is based on the information supplied by the registers of the county associations?
§ Colonel SEELYThe reply to both questions is in the affirmative.
§ Mr. AMERYasked the Secretary of State for War how the registration of National Reservists is conducted in Ireland?
§ Colonel SEELYThe question of the appropriate machinery for the registration of National Reservists in Ireland is still under consideration.
§ Mr. AMERYasked the Secretary of State for War whether, in view of paragraph 5 of the National Reserve Regulations issued with the Special Army Order dated 7th March, 1913, stating that officers of the General Reserve of Officers, Territorial Force Reserve, and Army pensioners are permitted to join on the understanding that the registration of their names in the National Reserve in no way interferes with their existing liability for military service, he will give the number of officers of the General Reserve of Officers and Territorial Force Reserve and the number of Army pensioners who are at present serving in the National Reserve; and if such officers and Territorial Force Reserve and Army pensioners have been excluded in the total strength of the National Reserve?
§ Colonel SEELYIn reply to the first part of the question, no statistics are available at the War Office. In reply to the second part of the question, the numbers have hitherto presumably been included in the total strength.
§ Mr. AMERYasked the Secretary of State for War (1) in view of his statement on 15th January, 1913, that the situation of the National Reservists will be the same as it would be in regard to the Reservists of the Territorial Force or other Reservists, and that the clothing will be in charge of the county associations, and the arms, of course, will be maintained as in the case of the Army Reservists and others, whether, if the clothing will be in charge of county associations and the arms kept at the regimental depôts, it is the intention, in the case of the Territorial units, to use the clothing and arms not now required, owing to the deficiency of 50,000 men in the Territorial Army, for National Reservists who join the Territorial Force, and, if there are any stores of arms and 723W clothing surplus to the full establishment of each Territorial unit, from what stores will the National Reservists who join the Regular Army be equipped; whether there are stores of arms and clothing surplus to the requirements of the Regular Reserve; whether the clothing issued to National Reservists will be new or part-worn clothing; (2) whether the fact that National Reservists can be equipped for service with the Territorial Army is due to the fact that there is a deficiency of upwards of 50,000 men in that force; whether the fact that National Reservists can be equipped for the Regular Reserve is due to the diminution of the Regular Reserve from 139,000 to 106,000 by October, 1913; and (3) whether, if the Territorial Force were up to its full establishment and the Regular Reserve were not about to diminish by upwards of 35,000 men, there would be clothing and equipment available for the National Reserve?
§ Colonel SEELYCounty associations will hold in store sufficient clothing and equipment for the full establishment of the units in their administration, and the National Reservists who fill up vacancies in the Territorial Force will be supplied on mobilisation from this stock; arms will similarly be supplied from ordnance store. As regards the men in Class I, there are ample stocks in ordnance store for such National Reservists as are required on mobilisation. As regards the second question I would point out in the figure 139,000 Section D is included and that in the figure 106,000 Section D (which now amounts to about 31,000) was excluded; it is obvious therefore that there will be no such large reduction as the hon. Gentleman suggests.
§ Mr. AMERYasked the Secretary of State for War (1), whether he will give the number of officers and men under forty-two years of age who have joined Class 1 of the National Reserve; (2), whether he will give the number of officers, warrant officers, and serjeants under the age of fifty-three, and the number of rank and file under fifty years of age, who have joined Class 2 of the National Reserve; (3), whether he will give the number who have registered their names in Class 3 of the National Reserve; (4), whether he will give the number of men under forty-two years of age in Class 1, and the number under fifty years of age in Class 2 at present serving in the National Reserve who have previously served in the Regular Army, Militia, Special Reserve, Volunteers, 724W Yeomanry, Territorial Force, Reserve of Regular Army (Sections B and D), Royal Navy, Marines, Royal Irish Constabulary, or are in possession of a war medal, respectively, and whether he will give the same information in respect of Class 3; (5), whether he will give the number of men who have been struck off the register of the Veteran and National Reserves since their formation on 21st May, 1910, and on the 5th August, 1911, respectively, for any of the following causes: found after enrolment to be ineligible, found to belong to the Army Reserve or Special Reserve, misconduct, physical unfitness, death, resignation, emigration, or any other causes; (6), whether he will give the number of officers who have ceased to be available for duty on mobilisation with the National Reserve since its formation in August, 1911; (7), if he will give the number of National Reservists who have consented to serve with the Territorial Army combatant branches on mobilisation?
§ Colonel SEELYAs regards these questions no statistics are yet available at the War Office. The regulations for carrying out the new scheme were only published on the 7th instant and therefore until they are more generally known no statistics of any real value will be available.