HC Deb 29 June 1948 vol 452 cc1982-3
14. Sir Patrick Hannon

asked the Secretary of State for War if he will make a statement on the progress of the Army Cadet organisation; what assistance is being provided for officers' uniforms and equipment; whether working relations are being established with local Territorial commands; and if encouragement is being extended to Army Cadet recruitment in public and secondary schools.

Mr. Shinwell

I will, with permission, circulate a statement in the OFFICIAL REPORT.

Sir P. Hannon

Is the right hon. Gentleman giving all the encouragement possible in our secondary schools to persuade boys to join the Cadet organisation?

Mr. Shinwell

Yes, certainly. I think the hon. Gentleman will find from the very long answer which I propose to circulate that we are extending all possible encouragement.

Sir T. Moore

In circulating this answer, will the right hon. Gentleman divide it in order to show the position in Scotland, in view of the most honourable part that Scotland has played in this movement?

Mr. Shinwell

This is not the sort of statement that we break down nationally.

Brigadier Head

Is the Secretary of State aware that the best encouragement to these boys is if the subsequent experience of others who have joined the Armed Forces on call-up convinces them that their Army Cadet service is of real use and advantage to them when they are called up?

Mr. Shinwell

I am not unaware of that.

Following is the statement:

The size of the Army Cadet Force was stabilized between July, 1947, and January, 1948, at about 100,000. For this satisfactory figure much credit is due to the public spirited voluntary work of thousands of Army Cadet Force officers and officials.

The strength of the Junior Training Corps has risen from 33,000 to about 38,000 since the end of the war. It is hoped that the Junior Training Corps, together with school units of other Cadet Forces will now merge successfully into the recently announced Combined Cadet Force, which offers better conditions than those previously offered to school contingents. It is also hoped that, in the interests both of the nation and of the boys themselves, many schools without cadets will now start Combined Cadet Force Contingents.

The efficiency of both the Junior Training Corps and of the Army Cadet Force has risen during the last two years. As an indication of the effects of cadet training, ex-cadets of the Junior Training Corps and Army Cadet Force, after undergoing selection processes, and after open competition, secured 80 per cent. of the vacancies in the January, 1948, intake into the Royal Military Academy; ex-cadets secured 75 per cent. of the vacancies in a recent intake into Officer Cadet Training Units; 20 out of every 21 cadets with Certificate A who join the Army are either under training as officers or have earned promotion as non-commissioned officers within a few months of joining. The benefits of cadet training do not cease at the age of 18, since ex-cadets can earn the right to shoulder responsibility in the Army while still young, and thus gain valuable experience, no matter what career they may later follow.

Officers are provided on joining with free uniform and personal equipment, and free replacements are provided as required. The Army Council is encouraging the establishment of the closest possible links between the Territorial Army and the Cadets, and at the same time the religious, cultural and welfare aspects of training in the Army Cadet Force are not being neglected. Every possible encouragement is being given to the formation of cadet contingents in schools. It is to the advantage of the nation, of the boys, and of the schools to give cadet training a small allowance of school time.