§ Captain WRIGHTasked the Undersecretary of State for War whether Territorial officers of the Royal Army Medical Corps have recently been sent out to France in charge of branch Territorial hospitals with the rank of temporary major who were not Territorial officers before the War, or were not on the staff of a recognised Territorial hospital, and therefore not à-la-suite officers, whilst officers who were serving before the War, who have been mobilised since August, 1914, at the front since February, 1915, 1153W and in some cases officers commanding surgical division at general hospitals, are held not to be eligible for promotion above the rank of captain; and why doctors who until recently have remained in the enjoyment of their practices in England are given advantages of promotion and pay over officers who have been voluntarily serving in His Majesty's Forces for years before, and continuously since, the beginning of the War?
§ Mr. MACPHERSONI am not clear to which hospitals my hon. and gallant Friend refers. If he has in mind the special Territorial general hospitals which were recently sent overseas, the senior officers were specially selected from the Territorial Force general hospitals in each command which furnished a hospital. These officers by a special arrangement were to serve for a minimum period of three months, and be relieved when necessary by other officers on the staff of the parent hospital. Appropriate acting rank was given to officers occupying positions where such promotion was considered desirable. The question of appointing field officers to the charge of the medical and surgical division of all general hospitals is under consideration.
§ Mr. MacVEAGHasked the Undersecretary of State for War what principles, or basis of principles, now obtain for the selection of officers in the Royal Army Medical Corps for promotion in rank; whether the same principles for purposes of promotion hold in the case of Royal Army Medical Corps officers in the Regular Force, the Territorial Force, and the temporary commissioned officers; whether any differences in the system of promotion exist in the different branches of the Royal Army Medical Corps; whether his attention has been called to certain recent promotions in the Territorial Force to the rank of major in the Royal Army Medical Corps; whether all or most of the officers so promoted have till quite recently been serving at home; whether he is aware that such promotion over the heads of other officers, some senior in previous and present service, in the same and other branches of the Royal Army Medical Corps who have had considerable overseas service is prejudicial to the interests of the medical service and is likely to increase the sense of injustice as to the irregularity of promotions, and that injustice has been done in some instances; and if he will say 1154W whether such promotions come within the purview of the recently appointed Army Promotions Board?
§ Mr. MACPHERSONPromotions in the Royal Army Medical Corps, Regular Special Service, and Territorial Force, up to the rank of major, are governed by a qualifying time period of service for each step in rank. Promotions above the rank of major are by seniority and selection. In the case of a temporary commissioned officer promotion to captain is given after twelve months' service, and promotions to higher rank are given in individual cases as suitable vacancies arise, according to the officer's qualifications and the nature of the appointment for which such promotion is considered necessary. No differences other than those enumerated exist in the system of promotion in the different branches of the Royal Army Medical Corps.
If my hon. Friend is referring in the latter part of the question to promotions made in the Special Territorial Force general hospitals, which were recently sent to France under special conditions to meet emergency, the promotions made in these units are all temporary, and are not considered as prejudicial to the interests of the medical service or as causing injustice to other officers The whole question of promotion generally in the Royal Army Medical Corps Territorial Force comes within the purview of the Committee presided over by my right hon. Friend the Member for Dundee.
§ Sir E. GOULDINGasked the Undersecretary of State for War when the Report of the Committee which has considered and reported on the question of promotion in regard to the General Reserve of Officers, the Special Reserve of Officers, and of the Territorial Force will be laid upon the Table?
§ Mr. MACPHERSONThe recommendations of this Committee are being sympathetically considered, and as soon as final decisions have been reached in regard to them the Report will be presented to both Houses, together with a note of the decisions. I trust that this will be done very shortly.