HC Deb 16 February 1939 vol 343 cc1881-2
17. Mr. Day

asked the Minister of Labour the number of applications received by his Department up to the last convenient date, separately for both men and women, in response to the appeal made by the National Service booklet; and the number of special staff that has been allocated to deal with such applications?

Mr. E. Brown

Arrangements have been made for obtaining the first detailed statistics of the response to the National Service appeal for the period up to the end of the present week, and meanwhile the figures which I can give are necessarily incomplete. The numbers of applications on the form included in the "Guide" which had up to last Saturday been received at local offices of my Department is 170,000, of which 130,000 are from men. The bulk of the applications to join the Regular Forces or the Territorial Army and of those from women not industrially employed do not pass through my Department, and are not included in these figures. With regard to the second part of the question, the work to which the hon. Member refers, like other National Service work, is undertaken by the existing staff of the Department with such temporary additions as are necessary. I cannot give any figure for the number of staff specially engaged on this work.

Mr. Day

From what part of the country has the best response been made?

Mr. Brown

I could not say that at the moment. We are arranging to have the first general return on the 18th Then we shall know. I know enough already to be aware that there are three kinds of districts, those which have their ranks full, those with some of their ranks full and those which require stimulation.

Mr. Mander

Is there any part of the country where Ministers are able to obtain a good hearing on this subject?

Mr. Brown

Yes, Sir. This is a country where Ministers gladly face all kinds of audiences in public.

Mr. Gallacher

Is it not a fact that the greatest response to the booklet has been from those who have used the free postage to express an adverse opinion?

Mr. Brown

I am aware that there is some organised attempt to do that and other things to create tension by many who share views which, if expressed in the country where those views are practised, would not get the same treatment as they get in this country.

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