HC Deb 13 June 1945 vol 411 cc1640-2
39. Lieut.-Commander Bell

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether he can give an assurance that the rate of release of reservists in the Royal Navy will not be permitted to fall substantially behind the rate of release in the other Services.

Mr. Bracken

No, Sir. The Fleet has been reminded that, as stated in the White Paper on the Re-Allocation Plan (Command 6548), it will not be possible to keep the rate of release in the three Services in step. Apart from the heavy obligations of mine clearance and of redeployment against Japan, the large number of officers and men in the Royal Navy over the age of 50 will from the start cause the rate of release of the under-50's to fall behind that of the other Services.

Lieut.-Commander Bell

Will my right hon. Friend bear in mind the dissatisfaction that is felt in the Royal Navy at this inequality following so soon after the transfer of large numbers of men into the ranks of His Majesty's Army?

Mr. Bracken

I believe this arrangement has been settled after a great deal of consultation over the past year, and I certainly am not prepared to interfere with a decision which was taken long before I came to the Admiralty.

Mr. Astor

If the R.N.V.R. are not going to get released on the same conditions as in other Services, will the right hon. Gentleman see that they get the same opportunities for promotion into higher ranks as do the Reservists in the Army?

CHAIRMAN (Vacant).
VICE-CHAIRMAN Mr. P. H. Westermann Trade Commissioner for the Netherlands Indies in London.
Belgian Congo Monsieur Th. Heyse Civil Servant.
Monsieur Mikolajczak Director, Société Générale des Minerals, Brussels.
Bolivia Senor Don A. Patino, R Patino Mines.
Senor Don J. Ortiz-Linares Patino Mines.
Senor Don Juan Penarands Civil Servant.
Mr. E. V. Pearce (Technical Adviser) Consolidated Tin Smelters, Limited.
Malaya Sir Gerard Clauson Civil Servant.
Mr. V. A. Lowinger Civil Servant (retired).
Mr. W. J. Wilcoxson Director, Straits Trading Co., Director, British Tin Smelting Co., Ltd.
Mr. J. H. Rich (Technical Adviser) Director, Trino Mines.
Netherlands Mr. P. H. Westermann (See above).
East Indies Mr. J. B. Peyrot Billiton Company.
Nigeria Sir Gerard Clauson (See above).
Mr. Dermot J. Mooney Director of various tin mining companies
Mr. J. Ivan Spens? Director, London Tin Corporation, Limited.
Consumers' Panel Mr. E. H. Lever Chairman, Richard Thomas & Co., Ltd.
United States Government representative. (Temporarily Vacant.)
United States industry representative (Temporarily Vacant.)
Mr. Bracken

I shall bear that suggestion in mind and will do everything I can to facilitate it.