§ 39. Mr. Boyd-Carpenterasked the Secretary of State for War whether there is a minimum age below which military personnel are riot released on compassionate grounds in any circumstances; and if so, what that age is.
§ 93. Major Tufton Beamishasked the Secretary of State for War why a man's compassionate release, either indefinite or temporary, is affected by his age and service group.
§ Mr. LawsonIn cases where compassionate release is applied for on other than business grounds there is no minimum age limit for either temporary or indefinite release. Nor is there any minimum age limit for temporary release in cases of one-man businesses. If a man is under 30 or in an age and service group from which postings to the Far East are being made, indefinite release will not, however, normally be granted for business reasons. To grant indefinite release in such cases would be unjustifiable as it would inevitably delay the Class A release of older men and those in early age and service groups.
§ Mr. Boyd-CarpenterIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that I have received from his Department in the last few days two letters, sent by the Noble Lord, the Member for Paisley (Viscount Corvedale) who sits behind him, stating that two men could not be released on purely compassionate grounds because they were below the age at which this could be done? In the light of the answer he has given, will he give immediate reconsideration to these two most urgent cases?
§ Mr. LawsonI will give attention to the point raised.