§ Mr. RICHARD LAMBERTasked the Under-Secretary for War (1) whether the Government will be liable for the maintenance and transport of a member of the Volunteer Training Corps if and when such a member is asked to discharge duties in the event of invasion; (2) whether the Government will give the same treatment to the dependants of a member of a Volunteer Training Corps who may be shot on duty, which he has been called upon to do by the authorities or by the general officer in command of a district, as is meted out to the dependants of men in the Regular and Territorial forces; and (3) whether a member of a Volunteer Training Corps who is employed on patrol work, and, as a last resort, fires and kills a man not giving a proper answer to his challenge, will come under the same category as a soldier in the Regular or Territorial Army as to protection from legal liability?
§ Mr. TENNANTThe Volunteer Training Corps are authorised for training purposes only. Decisions on the questions raised by the hon. Member would be announced in the event of these corps being armed and recognised as part of the Armed Forces of the Crown, but in present circumstances it is not proposed to make any pronouncement upon them.
§ Mr. NIELDasked the President of the Local Government Board whether he will authorise or permit of the contribution by municipal or urban district councils, by means of grants not exceeding in all a sum equal to a penny rate, in aid of the Volunteer Defence Corps for the purpose of arming or equipping such corps in their 589W respective districts, or in forming miniature rifle ranges for the use of such corps in order to become efficient for the duties which may be required of them; and whether, in the event of his present powers being insufficient to effect such purposes, he will introduce legislation with the object of obtaining such powers and treat the question as one of urgency?
§ Mr. HERBERT SAMUELI do not think that I could properly introduce legislation for the purpose of legalising the use of the rates for arming or equipping Volunteer Defence Corps. In the case of local authorities whose accounts are subject to audit by the auditors of the Local Government Board I am prepared to sanction expenditure in fitting up temporary rifle ranges on property of the local authorities. The Board's powers do not enable them to give similar sanction in the case of the council of a borough whose accounts are not subject to audit by the Board's auditors. The councils of boroughs have certain powers under the Military Lands Acts, 1892 to 1903.