asked the Under-Secretary of State for War whether, seeing the slowness of promotion now existing, he will explain why lieutenant-colonels of the Royal Army Medical Corps and the Royal Army Veterinary Corps are not obliged to retire after four years' service in that rank, as is the case in the infantry, artillery and other branches of the Army?

No fair comparison can be made with the combatant branches, where conditions are different. The combatant officers in question are not retired, and the fact that they go to half-pay does not deprive them as a class of adequate opportunities of further employment. No opportunities on a similar scale would be available for the Departmental branches.