§ 45. Major Guy Lloydasked the Prime Minister whether he is now in a position to announce the Government's decision with regard to their future policy about conscription for national service.
§ The Prime Minister (Mr. Attlee)I have nothing at present to add to paragraph 13 of the White Paper relating to Defence.
§ Major LloydIs the Prime Minister aware that this prolonged delay in giving a decision on this urgent matter is causing great anxiety to thousands of parents and young men who can make no plans whatever for their immediate future?
§ The Prime MinisterI am aware of that and the decision will be speeded up as quickly as possible.
§ Mr. Ronald ChamberlainDoes not the Prime Minister think that the time has come when national service ought to embrace such things as youth service, community service, social service and so on, and why must we for ever go on thinking of national service as purely military service?
§ The Prime MinisterI think there is no reason to consider service to the nation as purely military service.
§ Mr. BowlesIs the Prime Minister aware that apart from Russia no country 1913 which had conscription won the war, whereas countries which had not it were successful?
§ The Prime MinisterOne can always take a number of cases like that, but it is not always necessarily a decisive factor.