HC Deb 15 December 1943 vol 395 c1550
71. Major Manningham-Buller

asked the Secretary of State for War what number of men now enlisted in the Army have been found to be illiterate?

The Financial Secretary to the War Office (Mr. Arthur Henderson)

I regret that these figures are not readily available, but just under 1¼ per cent. of men enlisted into the Army in the last year and a half are illiterate. The Army Education authorities are making special efforts to reduce the number of illiterates in the Army.

Mr. John Dugdale

Is the Minister aware that in a unit in which I served there were 40 illiterates in one division and that after having been asked to find out the number nothing whatever was done to train them to read or write?

Mr. Henderson

I was not aware of that.