HC Deb 19 October 1944 vol 403 cc2514-5
17. Sir Robert Young

asked the Secretary of State for India if he is aware that many emergency commissioned British officers are being deprived of their vote by not being placed on the Service electoral register; will he explain why this decision has been imposed seeing they are not regular Indian Army officers domiciled in India; and what are the conditions governing the resumption of their educa- tion or training in employment when the war ends.

The Secretary of State for India (Mr. Amery)

I assume that the hon. Member is referring to emergency commissioned officers of the Indian Army and would invite his attention to the reply given on this subject by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Home Department on 26th September. I sympathise fully with the purpose which prompts my hon. Friend's inquiry. The position of the emergency commissioned officers in the Indian Army and corresponding officers of the Royal Indian Navy, who would, but for war service, have been residing in the United Kingdom, is under examination. As regards the third part of the Question I certainly intend to secure that whatever educational or training privileges are granted by His Majesty's Government to emergency commissioned officers of the British Service on release or demobilisation are also granted to emergency commissioned officers of the Indian Army so far as operational requirements permit.

Sir R. Young

When is the examination likely to be finished and its results made known to hon. Members?

Mr. Amery

The matter is under examination by the Home Office. It arises not from any administrative action in India but from the terms of the legislation actually passed in this House, and it can only be set right by amending legislation, if such legislation can be passed without opening too widely the door to other cases.

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