HC Deb 24 January 1918 vol 101 cc1168-9W
Sir A. YEO

asked the Under-Secretary of State for War whether men placed on draft for the East are usually given four clear days' draft leave; whether he is aware that all the leave granted to the men in the Royal Engineers, Wireless Section. at Hitchin, is forty-eight hours; whether this leave was granted before the men were placed on draft, and was in all cases quite inadequate; and whether he will see that proper draft leave is granted to all the men concerned?

Mr. MACPHERSON

I would refer my hon. Friend to the answer given on 10th. December to my hon. Friend the Member for Haggerston. If my hon. Friend will give me the details of any case he has in mind, I shall be happy to make inquiries.

Major WARING

asked the Under-Secretary of State for War whether a Return showing the number of all ranks granted leave home from the Salonika Force can be furnished on lines similar to the Return issued by General Headquarters in France; whether he can state the number of all ranks granted leave home from the French Salonika Force in 1917 as compared with the number granted leave home in the British Salonika Force; whether the system of interchange of Staff officers of properly qualified regimental officers is applicable to the Salonika Force and is in operation there; whether a system of granting six months' service in home units to officers who have performed regimental duty for prolonged periods overseas is now in operation; and, if so, if he will state to what extent the principle can be acted up to in the Salonika Force?

Mr. MACPHERSON

The information for which my hon. and gallant Friend asks is not available at the War Office, but I am in personal communication with the General Officer Commanding on the subject of leave generally. It is believed that the interchange of Staff officers and properly qualified regimental officers is in operation in the Salonika Force as far as circumstances permit, but appointments to the Staff of an Expeditionary Force is a matter for the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief concerned.