12. Lieut.-Colonel Sir Ian Fraserasked the President of the Board of Trade if he has any statement to make as to the settlement or resettlement of ex-Service men in general and of disabled ex-Service men in particular in small retail businesses.
§ Mr. DaltonYes, Sir. I have decided that in future a disabled ex-Service man, who was formerly a retailer, shall be granted a licence to open a shop in any area or line of business, provided that the grant of a licence in an area, other than that in which he used to trade, would not prejudice the interests of others on the Board of Trade register. Disabled ex-Service men, who were not formerly retailers, will be treated in the same way, except that the licensing Committees will consider, with the advice of the Ministry of Labour, whether, in each individual case, retail trade affords good prospects for the applicant. I have also invited the British Legion to nominate a representative on each of these licensing committees. All ex-Service men on the Register, at the end of the war, will, on their return to civil life, be granted licences automatically to re-open their former businesses.