§ 15. Sir Reginald Blairasked the Secretary of State for War whether it is the policy of the Government to retain, against their wishes, Grade I combatant men who joined the Royal Army Pay Corps in peace-time and now are anxious to rejoin their fighting units?
§ Mr. LawThe policy is to retain in the Royal Army Pay Corps the small number who formed the peace establishment of the Corps in order to make possible the absorption and training of large numbers of inexperienced clerks necessary to maintain essential pay services of the Army.
§ Sir R. BlairIs my hon. Friend aware that a great deal of this work could well be done by women?
§ Mr. LawNo, Sir. The difficulty is that this work demands a great deal of experience. The men who were in the Royal Army Pay Corps before the war have gained that experience, and they could not be taken away without creating very serious disorganisation within the Corps, to the great detriment of every serving soldier.