HC Deb 28 June 1944 vol 401 cc712-3
34. Mr. Quintin Hogg

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty what information is now to hand regarding the numbers of officers and men in the Royal Navy who have applied for registration for the parliamentary franchise as a result of the promised inquiry.

The First Lord of the Admiralty (Mr. A. V. Alexander)

The inquiry which I promised my hon. Friend should be made, is in hand, but he will appreciate that a little time must elapse before sufficient information will be available to enable a true impression as to how the scheme is working to be formed. If, however, he will put down another Question in a few weeks' time, I hope to be able to give the House a reliable and representative picture.

Mr. Hogg

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that the Army have already provided this information and that the Air Force, through the Secretary of State, have expressed considerable self-satisfaction about the information that they have, and is not this carrying the tradition of the silent Service rather further than is reasonably necessary?

Mr. Alexander

It is just the fact that a large part of the Navy is almost continuously at sea.