§ 36. Sir A. Knoxasked the Secretary of State for War whether posting officers have instructions to accede, where possible, to the wish of recruits for appointment to the same unit on the ground of family relationship, friendship or local association; and what complaints he has received that this wish has been disregarded?
§ Mr. Hore-BelishaWhen men are interviewed, claims to a particular regiment or corps are recorded by the interviewing officers. Where possible, men are posted in accordance with such claims, but posting is necessarily governed by the quotas in various corps allotted to the particular Allocation Centre. In some cases, men have asked that their posting should be changed to allow them to serve in a corps with which they have connections, and, where possible, such applications have been granted. As, however, men have to be distributed according to various grades of qualifications and to the requirements of various arms of the Service, this is not always possible.
§ Mr. George GriffithsIs not the Minister aware that officers give very little consideration to this when relatives go to join up, and that they treat them very crudely?
§ Mr. Hore-BelishaI should he sorry to believe that, but if the hon. Member has any instances of persons being treated crudely and will let me know, I will take the necessary steps.