§ 3. Mr. Willisasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty what arrangements are made to ensure that men serving overseas, and nearing the completion of their first continuous service engagement, are returned to the United Kingdom in sufficient time to take any leave due to them and seek civilian employment before the date upon which they are due for discharge.
Mr. DugdaleMen returning from overseas to take their discharge are granted both foreign service leave and terminal leave. Every endeavour is made to relieve them in sufficient time to give foreign service leave before they are due for discharge, but the exigencies of the service and the uncertainties of transport sometimes make this impossible. Terminal leave may be granted either before or immediately after the expiry of the engagement. At present, owing to the Navy's manpower difficulties, it is generally necessary for it to come after. Final discharge procedure is completed before the man goes on leave and he is able, if he wishes, to take up civilian employment before his leave expires.
§ Mr. WillisIs my right hon. Friend aware that the period before discharge when a rating may apply for his relief varies very considerably from ship to ship on the same station and that this causes great concern to the men? Would he not look into it with a view to making the period fairly general on the same station for all ships?
Mr. DugdaleThe point is that there are different situations in different ships and the difficulties in some ships may be greater than in others. We have to allow for those difficulties, but, as far as we can, we see that relief is granted as soon as it possibly can be granted.