§ 73. Sir A. Wilsonasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether, in order to encourage recruiting for the Territorial Army in the Civil Service and in the country as a whole, he will cancel or modify Treasury Circular E/1206/4 of 10th September, 1929, which cancelled a previous undertaking that conscientious objectors who are employed in the Civil Service and who have refused to serve in the Army shall not be promoted over the heads of civil servants who have served or are serving in the Army; and whether he can state how many conscientious objectors were so promoted?
§ The Chancellor of the Exchequer (Mr. Chamberlain)The decision to which my hon. and gallant Friend refers is of long standing, and His Majesty's Government are not prepared to cancel or modify it. It is not thought that action of the kind proposed would have any beneficial effect on recruiting for the Territorial Army. As regards the second part of the question, I regret that no recent information is available. The number of promotions which took place directly after the 1929 decision was three.