§ 15. Mr. Ralph Ethertonasked the Secretary of State for War whether, when a man who has been called up under the National Service (Armed Forces) Act, 1939, and has expressed a preference for service in the Navy, is called up inadvertently or otherwise for the Army, it is the practice of his Department to refuse to transfer him to the Navy unless he has had seafaring experience; whether it is the practice not to consult the naval authorities on such cases; whether the Board of Admiralty have been consulted as to this practice and approved thereof; and whether he will reconsider his decision on the case of a man from Urmston to which the hon. Member for Stretford has directed his attention?
§ Mr. LawThe general procedure was explained to my hon. Friend by the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of 286 Labour and National Service in reply to a Question last Thursday. Unless there is reason to suppose that a man has been erroneously posted to the Army, the War Office would not be disposed to reopen the matter. The War Office practice has the concurrence of the Admiralty, and I regret that I can see no reason to vary the decision in the case to which my hon. Friend refers.
§ Mr. EthertonIs it not a fact that in the case of the man to whom I drew attention, he had not been called up for the Army properly, but erroneously? Is not that the case?
§ Mr. EthertonIn view of the unsatisfactory nature of the reply, I beg to give notice that I intend to raise this matter on the Adjournment at the earliest possible moment.