§ Sir G. HURSTasked the Secretary of State for War whether, seeing that the tractors in use in the Royal Artillery (Territorial Army) are unable to go through a river which may be more than two feet deep, the order issued during the last few days from the War Office to the effect that Divisional Territorial Feld Brigades must immediately decide whether they will be wholly horsed or wholly mechanised may be held in abeyance until such time as tractors can be provided which will cross small rivers of a depth of more than two feet?
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§ Mr. SHAWThe recent orders to which the hon. and learned Member refers were issued in order to secure uniformity of training within brigades, a few of which came up for the last training with some batteries horsed and some mechanised. I am advised that the fact that the light six-wheeled vehicles with which mechanised Territorial brigades train, cannot cross water obstacles of greater depth than two feet is not considered to be a material disadvantage from a training point of view. But if it is decided to retain horsed transport for a brigade for the coming training season, the brigade will not be debarred from becoming mechanised at a later date.