Colonel NEWMANasked the Secretary of State for War if he will state what numbers of warrant officers, non-commissioned officers, men, and clerks were employed in the remount service on 1st August, 1914, and 1st April, 1921, and the monthly cost to the country at each period for officers, subordinates, and clerks, respectively?
§ Sir R. SANDERSThe numbers asked for are as follow:
— 1st August, 1914. 1st April, 1921. Warrant Officers 3 1* Non-Commissioned Officers 49 10* Privates 23 56* Civilians 156 665 Clerks 30 35 * The military establishment is about to be abolished and will be replaced by civilians who are included in the 665 civilians mentioned, 367 of these and also some of the clerks are employed in connection with the boarding-out scheme which did not exist in 1914. The monthly cost is as follows:
— 1914. 1921. £ £ Officers (including retired Officers). 4,620 4,775 Subordinates (Military and Civilian). 3,510 9,200 Clerks 420 490 The increased cost in 1921 is due to the maintenance of five remount depots in connection with the boarding-out scheme, and to the higher wages paid to civilian subordinates.
Colonel NEWMANasked the Secretary of State for War whether he is aware of the provision of the Territorial Force Act, 1, ii., (2), with respect to the registration and hire of horses; and when is it proposed to revert the remount service to pre-War establishment?
§ Sir R. SANDERSI am aware of the provisions of the Territorial and Reserve Forces Act, 1907, referred to. With the exception of the establishment maintained in connection with the boarding-out 2235W scheme, which is an after-War service, the remount service reverted to the pre-War establishment shortly after the Armistice, and is now below it.
Colonel NEWMANasked the Secretary of State for War if he will state what number of registered Army horses quartered in the United Kingdom were borne on the establishment on 1st August, 1914, and 1st April, 1921; and how many remount depôts were in existence on these respective dates?
§ Sir R. SANDERSI assume that my hon. and gallant Friend refers to the number of Army horses on the establishment in the United Kingdom. The number on 1st August, 1914, was 24,800 and on 1st April, 1921, was 20,000 exclusive of 14,047 boarded-out horses. There were 4 regular remount depôts on both the dates mentioned, but one depôt is to be abolished on or about 1st May next. In addition there are at present five remount depôts maintained in connection with the boarding-out scheme which did not exist before the War.