§ Mr. WHYTEasked the Under-Secretary of State for War whether the conditions of service in Volunteer regiments include the obligation to attend drills on Sunday; and, if so, whether any provision can be made for those who object to this practice?
59W
§ Mr. MACPHERSONUnder their agreements, Volunteers undertake to attend at least fourteen drills, of an hour each, a month during the recruit stage, and ten drills a month after being passed as efficient. Commanding officers of Volunteer units have General Instructions to arrange their drill programmes so as to give Volunteers a choice of times at which to attend these drills. Judging by the paucity of complaints received, I think that in the vast majority of cases commanding officers have borne in mind the desirability of arranging these programmes so as to furnish Volunteers with opportunities of attending the prescribed numbers of drills on week-days. If there is any case in which it is impossible for a Volunteer, owing to the construction of the drill programme, to put in the requisite number of drills without Sunday attendance, and hardship is thereby occasioned, inquiry will be made with a view to the modification of the programme if such a course is found to be practicable.