§ 4. Mr. Kirbyasked the Minister of Labour what steps have been taken to ensure that naval, military and air personnel, now serving under regular conditions of enlistment, will be guaranteed employment on return to civil life, as is the case with those who are serving on a non-regular basis.
§ Mr. BevinI would refer my hon. Friend to the answer given to the right hon. Member for Chorley (Sir D. Hacking) on Tuesday.
§ Mr. KirbyMay I ask the right hon. Gentleman whether he realises that the Reinstatement in Civil Employment Act refers to serving men who enlisted since 25th May, 1939, and, therefore long-service personnel do not benefit under it? Does he realise that long-service soldiers, airmen and sailors who have been serving the country for 10 or 12 years, will not benefit under the Act?
§ Mr. BevinI realise that that is the position, but where a person goes into the Services for a career it is impossible to deal with it within the limits of reinstatement with a particular employer. The Government, however, are fully alive to the necessity of looking after these men in the general provisions for employment, but I could not see my way to tie a particular employer, to employ a man after long years of service.
§ Mr. KirbyDoes the Minister realise that many of these regular Servicemen were serving on short-term engagements, and got caught up in the troubles of the war; and will he look at the matter again?
§ Mr. BevinI would ask my hon. Friend to appreciate that the Reinstatement in Civil Employment Act is a 904 limited Measure, and I do not want to create in the minds of men in the Forces the idea that it solves the whole problem of reinstatement in industry. We have to deal with people coming out of the Forces on a wider basis than the limitations imposed by that Act.