HC Deb 12 October 1943 vol 392 cc697-8
39. Mr. Robertson

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he is now in a position to reply to the letter dated 25th August, addressed to him by the hon. Member for Streatham, in regard to the daily employment for several months of a Guardsman as a batman in a London club?

Sir J. Griģģ

I hope the hon. Member has by now received a reply from me explaining that the arrangement about which he complained was stopped as soon as it came to light.

Mr. Robertson

Does my right hon. Friend realise that the daily use of a six-foot Guardsman as a domestic servant to a junior officer employed at the War Office at a place where valeting services exist is an affront to all the men and women who are toiling in the fields, the mines, the factories and the homes?

Sir J. Griģģ

I am not in the least prepared to defend this particular case, but, as I have said, as soon as the arrangement came to light it was stopped.

40. Mr. Robertson

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he has considered the case of Sapper Congdon, of Streatham, a skilled tradesman, who is employed as a batman because of an injury to one of his hands; and whether he will take immediate steps to have this man released from the Army so that he can fill a job in the aircraft industry?

Sir J. Griģģ

A release can only be granted on the application of a prospective employer, sponsored by the Government Department concerned. If any firm wishes to employ Sapper Congdon, and will apply in the usual way through the Department concerned, the application will of course be considered in the usual way. The man's medical category would be taken into account when considering release.

Mr. Robertson

Will my right hon. Friend bear in mind that this skilled tradesman has been employed for 12 months on domestic duties, and would he not be more use in industry than untrained women of 5o years of age?

Sir J. Griģģ

There is a perfectly recognisable procedure for dealing with these cases, and perhaps the hon. Mem- ber can provide some help to the sapper in this connection.

Sir John Wardlaw-Milne

Will my right hon. Friend be good enough to look more closely into this matter, in view of the fact that there is a widespread belief in the country, whether well-founded or not, that a large number of men are being retained in the Army to do work which is really unnecessary and that the promise of replacing fighting men so that they can go into the line is not borne out by the facts?

Sir J. Griģģ

I have given a good deal of attention to this matter, and the combing of War Office establishments and employments is continuous. It is, I know, going on with particular vigour just now.