68. Captain TUDOR REESasked the Minister of Labour whether, in view of the urgent need for additional labour on the land and of the fact that farmers will not be able to put all their land under cultivation for the ensuing harvest unless they have such additional labour immediately, he will arrange for the speedy demobilisation of those men in the Army and Navy who before the War were engaged in the agricultural industry?
§ Mr. WARDLEThe agricultural group has been opened for demobilisation for a considerable time, and together with the coal-mining group receives priority over all other industrial classes for dispersal, including pivotal men. So far nearly 100,000 men from the agricultural group have been demobilised, and about 40,000 agriculturists have been registered as pivotal men. Except in the case of pivotal men release is, of course, subject to any liability for retention in the Armies of Occupation under Army Order 55 of the 29th January.