§ 19. Mr. Lipsonasked the Secretary of State for War if he will consider amending Army Council Instruction No. 973 of 1947, under which no one can apply for a Regular commission till 21 years of age, to enable the holder of a short service commission below that age to be told after six months that he will be granted a Regular commission when he is 21, or be admitted to Sandhurst till he reaches that age, as the instruction is having the effect of making many young officers take their release at 19 or 20.
§ Mr. ShinwellAn instruction issued early this month enables all emergency commissioned officers who have not already had the opportunity of trying for Sandhurst and who would otherwise be barred by the lower age limit from applying for appointment to a permanent Regular commission before release to apply specially later this year. In this way every emergency commissioned officer under the age of 21 has had or will have at least one opportunity to obtain a Regular commission.