§ 33. Mr. Turtonasked the Minister of Labour whether there is any limit to the number of agricultural workers with a minimum of 12 months' service in the Forces who will be offered immediate Class B release; and when the new policy was first promulgated to the Service Departments.
§ Mr. IsaacsNo limit has been set to the number of agricultural workers who are releasable and have served a minimum of one year in the Forces to whom release in Class B may be offered. It is 928 not anticipated, however, that the total of releases will greatly exceed the target figure of 18,000 announced earlier The Service Departments were asked to make the additional offers in the middle of February.
§ Mr. TurtonWill the Minister explain why this very important change of policy was so shrouded in secrecy, and will he now give wide publicity both in the Services and in the agricultural industry to this new policy?
§ Mr. IsaacsI did not know it was shrouded in secrecy, but I did rise to answer a supplementary question put by the hon. Gentleman last week, and because of an interruption I could not do it. That is when I wanted to put it over in the House.
§ Mr. SnaddenCould the right hon. Gentleman say if the figure of 18,000 to which he referred is a United Kingdom figure?
§ Mr. IsaacsNo, Sir, they are not all in the United Kingdom. We have got to get them from all over the world, but we hope it will give us another 2,000 on top of the 18,000.
§ Mr. TurtonWill the Minister consider at another time giving publicity without waiting for a Member on this side of the House to ask a supplementary question?
§ Mr. IsaacsIt was because the decision had only recently been taken, that 1 wanted to get it across as quickly as I could.
§ 34. Mr. Turtonasked the Minister of Labour whether men released under Class B for work in agriculture will normally be allowed to return to their prewar employment or to seek work near their homes; and in what circumstances they are directed to work at a distance from their homes.
§ Mr. IsaacsEvery effort is made to place agricultural workers released under Class B in approved agricultural work of . their own choice. Men who express no preference are normally offered work within daily travelling distance of their own homes. They are not directed to work at a distance from their homes.
§ Mr. TurtonMay we have publicity of these facts given to all men in the Forces, as there is widespread misconception among them that if they accept Class B 929 release for agricultural work they will be directed to work away from their homes?
§ Mr. IsaacsYes, Sir. We will see what can be done, because that might improve the number of acceptances.
§ 35. Major John Morrisonasked the Minister of Labour the number of men who have been released to date as individual specialists and under the block scheme, respectively, for full-time employment in agriculture.
§ Mr. IsaacsThe number of men released to date in Class B as individual specialists for agriculture is 736; the number reported as released under the block release scheme, up to 15th February, the latest date for which information is available, is 5,188.