HC Deb 20 September 1939 vol 351 cc937-8
31. Sir Percy Harris

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he is aware that there are a large number of men who are anxious to join up as volunteers before they are called upon under their age-groups; and whether he will make arrangements to facilitate their enlistment as soon as possible?

Sir V. Warrender

As my right hon. Friend has already stated, we have at present all the men we can handle, except for certain classes of tradesmen. Volunteers for these classes are still being accepted. It is not intended generally to allow young men to anticipate the age of calling up but, side by side with the calling up of age-groups, opportunities will occur of accepting a number of volunteers other than tradesmen.

Sir P. Harris

Will facilities be available for men who are anxious to obtain military training in some form or other, so that they will be ready for the Army sooner than if they had to wait for their age-group to be called up?

Sir V. Warrender

Men are able now to register themselves as volunteers. The hon. Gentleman knows that, as opposed to what happened during the last War, we are proceeding this time upon a regularised basis and not upon some form of haphazard recruitment, which would lead only to confusion.

Sir Archibald Sinclair

Would it not be a pity if the regularised basis were slower than the haphazard form; and did not 500,000 men, in fact, join up voluntarily in the first five or six weeks of the last War?

Sir V. Warrender

Our present basis cannot be slower because, as I say, we already have as many men as we can deal with.

32. Sir P. Harris

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he is aware that there are large numbers of men who are prevented from joining the armed forces because they are in scheduled occupations, or are over the military age, who are anxious to do part-time military training and who would be willing to do home-defence service; and whether he will sanction the organisation of training centres on the lines of the Volunteer Training Corps and the volunteer force during the last War?

Sir V. Warrender

At the present time, it is essential to concentrate on the training of soldiers on full-time service, though it may be necessary, at a later date, to accept men for part-time military duties. In the meantime, I think that those who are available for part-time work could be most usefully employed in connection with the air-raid precautions services.