asked the Under-Secretary of State for War whether an officer in the field granted acting rank is deprived of such rank if another officer is drafted into his unit; and, if so, whether he will consider the desirability of allowing all officers who have held acting rank on active service for three months to retain such rank whilst they are serving?

An officer granted acting rank is only given such rank during the temporary absence from duty of the substantive holder of that rank. The suggestion in the last part of the question is not considered desirable, as it would result in creating more officers in the higher ranks than are required.