§ 3. Rear-Admiral Beamishasked the Secretary of State for War the reason for precluding Army musicians from accepting civilian employment when off duty and not on long leave; and, as men in all uniformed and other State services and State-controlled industries are free to earn money by their talents in their spare time off duty, whether he will consider giving Army musicians similar freedom?
§ The Secretary of State for War (Sir James Grigg)Army musicians on leave for not less than 48 hours may perform in public, but in plain clothes, and may accept fees for their performances. At other times they are on duty as soldiers even when not actively engaged on Army work, and I think it would be inappropriate for them to make money for themselves during this time. This policy, which is, I am sure, well understood by the Army musicians themselves, does not in practice place them in a worse position in this respect than the bulk of their fellow soldiers are in already.
§ Rear-Admiral BeamishWhile thanking my right hon. Friend for his answer, may I ask whether he realises that the musicians in question are ready to take their risks as soldiers at any time and that all they want to do is to preserve their musical capacity?
§ Sir J. GriggI quite understand, and I hope that nothing I have said gives any 1566 impression other than that these soldiers are perfectly ready to carry out their military duties.