HC Deb 16 January 1945 vol 407 cc3-5
7. Mr. Turton

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he has now decided to relax the rule that prevents a wife serving in the same theatre of operations as her husband, so as to permit members of the A.T.S. to volunteer for service overseas in theatres of war where their husbands are serving, provided that they will not be serving in the same unit.

Sir J. Grigg

In the answer I gave my hon. Friend to his supplementary question on 21st December, I was referring to husbands and wives serving in the same unit. There is no rule forbidding them from serving in the same theatre. I am sorry I did not make this clear.

Mr. Turton

Does that also apply to voluntary organisations serving with the Army?

Sir J. Grigg

I think that is a matter which is now under consideration, and I would be very grateful if my hon. Friend would put a Question down so that I can give him a considered answer.

13. Colonel Sir Arthur Evans

asked the Secretary of State for War if, in view of the decision of His Majesty's Government to make available an additional 250,000 men for the Army, he has now any further statement to make on the posting of auxiliaries of the A.T.S. overseas.

Sir J. Grigg

A considerable part of this 250,000 will have to be found by the Army from its own resources. They will be combed out from rearward establishments and drafted to fighting units. This process has in fact been going on for many months now and very large numbers of men have been retrained for more active roles. But except for such circumstances as a reduction in the needs of static defence occasioned by changes in the military situation or where it is permissible to adopt slightly lower administrative standard the men combed out will have to be replaced. We are relying on providing a considerable number of such replacements by the new proposals for posting members of the A.T.S. overseas announced by me on 21st December last. We shall also have to rely to some extent on tightening up the criteria for releases from the Army.

As regards the posting of A.T.S. overseas, let me make it clear that if there are enough volunteers nobody need be posted, that no auxiliary who is either married or under 21 will be posted compulsorily. Moreover none will be sent to India except as volunteers and it is not proposed to send any to Burma or West Africa either compulsorily or as volunteers. With regard to the mixed batteries of anti-aircraft which are now coming into action on the Western Front, all women are volunteers.

Sir A. Evans

Do I understand from my right hon. Friend that he has called for volunteers from the A.T.S. for this purpose, in order to form some estimate of what percentage of these requirements is supplied by volunteers only?

Sir J. Grigg

Certainly, Sir, the process of volunteering has been going on for a very long time, and the reason for the change has been that in certain spheres the stream of volunteers has, at any rate for the time being, dried up.

Mr. Bowles

May we have this clearly from the right hon. Gentleman? On the last day before we went into Recess the right hon. Gentleman said that there would be no posting until the House had met. Surely, the House understood that there would be some discussion in the House before any posting took place?

Sir J. Grigg

No posting has taken place. I carried out my promise and shall carry out my promise. The matter of an opportunity for discussion is not one for me, but for the Leader of the House, but I can assure the hon. Member that I am not in the habit of breaking promises.

Mr. Bowles

I am not saying that the right hon. Gentleman has broken his promise, but does not his answer mean that the policy is going to be carried out without discussion in this House?

Mr. Graham White

If the policy of accepting volunteers is made widely and fully known, may it not be that the question will not arise at all?

Sir J. Grigg

I assure the hon. Member that it has been made known repeatedly in every unit throughout the country.