§ The Prime Minister (Mr. Attlee)I am sorry to trouble the House with another statement.
His Majesty's Government have decided to offer to men of the Forces now serving for the period of the emergency, and to those who have already been released, an opportunity of entering into a short-term engagement in the Service in which they are serving, or have served, on the following broad lines:
(1) Eligibility under the scheme.
To be eligible to volunteer under the scheme, men must fulfil requirements of age, medical standard and qualification which the Services will lay down, and must belong to or he qualified for branches and trades in which vacancies exist, and which will be specified. Subject to these conditions, the engagement will be open to
(2) Length of extension.
- (a) men still serving on emergency engagements who have served for not less than two years;
2361 - (b) men serving on regular engagements which expire while the scheme is open to recruitment;
- (c) men who have left the Services from regular or wartime engagements, provided they have had not less than two years' service during the war or during the emergency.
Men will be invited to volunteer for a special extension of engagement for either three or four years, at the man's own option. This period will commence from the date of engaging under the scheme.
(3) Conditions of service and rates of pay.
The conditions of service and rates of pay of men who engage under the scheme will be the same generally as those which apply to regulars. Men who have not yet left the Services, or who, having left, volunteer to rejoin before 1st July, 1946, will receive the concession of carrying over "war excesses" of pay, etc., which has been granted to men now in the Services. Those who volunteer and are accepted for the extended service period will be paid a bounty of £25 on engaging; and those who have not received a civilian outfit on dispersal will in addition be given a civilian outfit, or if they prefer it a sum of £8 instead. On completing their period of extended service, men will receive a gratuity at the rate of £25 for each full year of service completed under the scheme. A gratuity will not be paid to men discharged for misconduct. The maximum by way of bounty and gratuity that can be earned under the scheme is thus £125 for four full years' service plus £8 or a civilian outfit instead. The extended service will not, of course, count for normal service discharge gratuity or pension in addition to these special awards; but a man will be allowed to count the time towards pension instead of towards gratuity, if he thereby becomes qualified for a pension. The Government will introduce proposals to exempt the initial bounty and terminal gratuity from Income Tax.
All men who re-engage under the scheme, including those who have had their 56 days' dispersal leave, will be granted 28 days' leave at the end of their 2362 extended service. Men who re-engage before they have had this dispersal leave will be granted a generous period of leave at the beginning of their engagement, details of which will be announced later by the Service Departments. At the same time, the Government will give an opportunity, up to the 31st October, 1946, to men now serving on regular engagements to volunteer to extend their contract of regular service for three years beyond the expiration of its normal term, if they are then required. Men who accept this invitation will become eligible for a similar initial bounty of £25, plus £8 or a suit if they have not already received a suit; and they will ultimately qualify for a gratuity at the rate of £25 for each complete year of their extension of service, if this is more favourable to them than counting the time for the normal benefit of pension or gratuity.
(4) Period of operation of scheme.
The scheme will he opened at once and will remain open for a limited time only.
(5) Fuller details.
I have described to the House the general outline of the scheme. Fuller details of the arrangements will shortly be issued by the Service Departments. I am sure that I can count on the full cooperation of Members in bringing the advantages of this scheme to the attention of their constituents who may be serving or who have served in the Forces during the war.
§ Earl WintertonArising out of the right hon. Gentleman's statement, may I ask him if the Secretary of State or the Under-Secretary will now be authorised, this afternoon, to make a statement on the period and terms of compulsory service? However desirable this scheme may be in itself, consideration of it in this way, unless we have full details of Army service, will be rather lopsided?
§ The Prime MinisterWe have to consider the length of term in relation to the general scheme of voluntary service. I am not prepared to make a statement at once.
§ Mr. John PatonHas any target figure been set under this new proposal? If so, could my right hon. Friend say what it is?
§ The Prime MinisterYes, there is a target figure here of 26,500 for the Royal 2363 Navy and the Royal Marines, 100,000 for the Army and 60,000 for the Royal Air Force.
§ Maim Sir Jocelyn LucasDoes this apply to officers or only to other ranks?
§ The Prime MinisterThis applies only to other ranks.
§ Mr. Martin LindsayDoes the introduction of this scheme mean that insufficient recruits were forthcoming in the ordinary way after the men had seen the new pay terms announced in the White Paper?
§ The Prime MinisterI am afraid I did not quite get that question
§ Mr. LindsayDoes the introduction of this scheme mean that insufficient recruits were coming forward in the ordinary way, as a result of the new pay terms announced in the White Paper last Christmas?
§ The Prime MinisterNo, not necessarily. The matters are separate.
§ Mr. Boyd-CarpenterWill the Prime Minister state whether the scheme contains provision for the retention of existing ranks by men who re-engage?
§ The Prime MinisterI think so. I have not got the details. Perhaps the hon. Gentleman would raise that matter latter.
§ Captain Sir Peter MacdonaldWill the Prime Minister arrange for detailed state- 2364 ments to be issued at the earliest possible moment, because, on the statement made today, it is practically impossible to explain what the real conditions are.
§ The Prime MinisterI would point out to the hon. Gentleman that I said full details would be issued by the Service Departments
§ Earl WintertonNotice having been given weeks ago of today's Debate, surely the Minister should be in a position to describe the scheme during the Debate. Why should we have to wait?
§ The Prime MinisterI am sure the Minister will be able to describe it. I am dealing only with the machinery of issuing the Paper.
§ Commander NobleCould the Prime Minister say why this statement has been so long delayed?
§ The Prime MinisterOn account of full consultations between the Services
§ LIBRARY COMMITTEE
§ Mr. SpeakerHon. Members who are interested in the Library may be interested to learn that I have appointed the following Members to serve on the Library Committee: Mr. Benson, Mr. Cocks, Mr. Gaitskell, Professor Gruffydd, Mr. Hollis, Mr. Keeling, Mr. Pickthorn and Dr. Stephen Taylor.