§ 34. Mr. Douglas Marshallasked the Secretary of State for War whether he is aware that officers appointed to permanent Regular commissions from War Emergency Commissions only rank in the Regular Army as from the age of 21 years; that this arrangement is harsh on those who joined up upon leaving school; and whether he will consider adjusting this matter.
§ The Secretary of State for War (Mr. Shinwell)The arrangement referred to by the hon. Member is necessary in order to ensure that cadets appointed to permanent Regular commissions from Sandhurst should not be at an unfair disadvantage in comparison with emergency commissioned officers appointed to permanent Regular commissions. I do not consider that it would be desirable to alter it.
§ Mr. MarshallThat may sound all right, but is the Minister aware that, where those men started fighting at 18 years of age, they are the people who suffer the disadvantage in pension requirements at the end of their permanent service?
§ Mr. ShinwellIt not only sounds all right, it is all right.
§ Mr. J. Langford-HoltThe system before the war was that cadets from Sandhurst got one day's seniority from officers entering from the Supplementary Reserve. Can the right hon. Gentleman tell us what is the seniority today?
§ Mr. ShinwellIf the hon. Member will put down that Question I will answer it.