§ Mr. PERKINSasked the Under-Secretary for War whether his attention has been called to the effect on promotion due to the separation of the former Royal Regiment of Artillery into two regiments; whether he will consider the possibility of re-amalgamating the two branches of Artillery; will he explain why if promotion of subaltern officers in the Royal Artillery is restricted to six years, they are given temporary rank, with pay and allowances, not in order of seniority and while they still do duty as subalterns; and why officers in the Royal Field Artillery are promoted more quickly, especially in the subaltern ranks, than those in the Royal Garrison Artillery?
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§ Mr. TENNANTI am aware that the question of re-amalgamation has been raised, but I cannot regard the present moment as opportune for carrying out a comprehensive reorganisation. As regards the third part of the question, the temporary captains referred to perform the duties and receive the pay of that rank. Promotion to temporary rank is in these cases by selection. The answer to the last part of the question is that expansion in the Royal Field Artillery has been greater than in the Royal Garrison Artillery and I would add that any acceleration of promotion arising from such causes does not necessarily give a claim to acceleration of promotion in other arms or branches in which corresponding expansion has not been called for by the needs of the Service.