§ 37. Mr. Boyd-Carpenterasked the Minister of Labour if he is prepared to make arrangements to enable men who volunteer prior to being called up for National Service to elect which of the Services they shall join.
§ Mr. IsaacsAny man who is accepted as a volunteer by the Armed Forces before being called up under the National Service Acts ceases to be subject to the provisions of those Acts, and I assume that he will have joined the Service of his choice. Men who are called up under the National Service Acts who expressed a preference for a particular Service at the time of registration are posted to that Service whenever it is practicable.
§ Mr. Boyd-CarpenterIn view of that answer, will the right hon. Gentleman make it perfectly clear that all men are entitled to volunteer for any Service prior to the date of being called up?
§ Mr. IsaacsI do not know if anything further than this Question and answer will be necessary, but that is the fact: a man can volunteer, and obviously, if he volunteers, he volunteers for the unit of his choice.
Lieut.-Colonel Clifton-BrownWill the right hon. Gentleman say if that is the absolute case now as I understood from the Minister of War that a man was not allowed to volunteer for compulsory short service now?
§ Mr. IsaacsI was not speaking about that. The Question deals only with the choice of unit.