§ Lord CLAUD HAMILTONasked the Under-Secretary of State for War whether it is the intention of the authorities to promote to substantive rank those majors of the Regular Army who have been commanding service battalions for the past ten months or more, during four months at least of which period the battalions have been on active service, having regard to the fact that majors after three months in command of a Regular battalion get substantive rank as lieutenant-colonel?
§ Mr. TENNANTThe Noble Lord does not quite correctly state the position as regards the Regular major. He only gets substantive promotion after three months in command of a battalion, when the vacancy is caused by an officer being a prisoner or missing. In all other cases he continues to command with temporary rank only. It is not proposed to give substantive promotion to officers in command of service battalions, except in the cases when such officers become senior on the roll of the Regular battalion.