HC Deb 14 December 1948 vol 459 cc1015-8
34. Mr. Piratin

asked the Secretary of State for War why of the 14,965 all ranks of the Polish Resettlement Corps, 6,481 are officers, 6,320 are N.C.Os. and only 2,164 are privates; and is he satisfied with this arrangement.

Mr. Shinwell

The high proportion of officers and non-commissioned officers to privates in the residue of the Polish Resettlement Corps is due to the fact that privates have proved to be considerably easier to resettle in civilian life than officers and non-commissioned officers. One thousand seven hundred and fifty-seven officers and 1,388 non-commissioned officers are over 50 years of age.

Mr. Piratin

Is the Minister satisfied that these officers and other ranks are not reluctant to find ordinary civilian employment in the country; and irrespective of the fact that they may be over 50 years of age, does he not recall that Englishmen over that age have to find jobs in the ordinary course of life, and are expected to do so?

Mr. Shinwell

I have no evidence of collective reluctance. Of course, there may be individual reluctance.

Mr. Rankin

Could my right hon. Friend say why an administrative staff of 8,000 is necessary to administer the affairs of these 14,000?

Mr. Shinwell

I think that my hon. Friend has got the figures wrong. It is true that the administrative staff is very large, but there is a lot of clearing up to be done.

Vice-Admiral Taylor

In view of the fact that the Minister has stated that the difficulty in obtaining work for these officers and non-commissioned officers is due to their age, can he take any particular steps to see that it is made easier for them to obtain employment, which they are most anxious to obtain?

Mr. Shinwell

Yes, I have no doubt that they are anxious to obtain employment in civil life; there is evidence of that; but it is not so easy to fit them in. Unfortunately, many of the officers would like executive and administrative posts, which are not available.

Mr. Scollan

Are the Government aware that the people of this country are a bit tired of carrying these 14,000 people for five years—[HON. MEMBERS:" No."]—and how much longer are we to carry them? Either make them work or get them home to where they came from.

Mr. Shinwell

I must say, in fairness to the members of the Polish Resettlement Corps, that they were brought here under a commitment which we undertook during the war, and at any rate we must carry it out.

36. Mr. Piratin

asked the Secretary of State for War how many of the 978 officers and 4,891 other ranks of the Polish Resettlement Corps employed on administrative duties are actually engaged on duties connected directly with the needs of the 14,965 all ranks of which the Corps consists.

Mr. Shinwell

All the officers and other ranks of the Polish Resettlement Corps employed on administrative duties are either engaged on work in connection with Poles who are still in the Corps or on residual work, such as the winding up of pay accounts, in connection with the many members of the Corps who have bees relegated to the reserve but not yet finally discharged, or on the winding up of the affairs of the Polish Land Forces.

Mr. Piratin

That does not add anything to the reply given last week. Is it not the case that two-fifths of the Corps are engaged in administrative duties; is this not an intolerable state of affairs; and will the Minister look into this question to see whether perhaps this racket is being operated?

Mr. Shinwell

I have not only looked into it but personally visited the camps, and particularly the administrative headquarters, and I have satisfied myself that they are as anxious as we are to bring this work to a speedy end. It is not easy in the circumstances, and we must be fair to these people who have not yet been absorbed into civil employment.

Mr. Chetwynd

Can my right hon. Friend say when it is likely that the Corps will be wound up and these men passed over to the responsibility of the Assistance Board?

Mr. Shinwell

After all, we have made substantial improvement in the last six months. We are gradually divesting ourselves of this responsibility.

Major Lloyd

Can the right hon. Gentleman indicate when this Russian vendetta against our gallant Polish Ally will stop?

Mr. McGovern

Reverting to my right hon. Friend's former statement about the number of executive posts, may I ask whether it is not true that in the initial stages these were exactly the tactics of the Communist Party, whose members were really all leaders?

Mr. Shinwell

I am not an authority on Communist Party technique.