Regular Commissions (Hansard, 27 February 1951)

§ 25. Mr. A. R. W. Low
asked the Secretary of State for War how many Regular commissions were granted in 1950 and how many in 1949; what number of new Regular officers each year was necessary for the size of the Army contemplated in 1949; and what number is necessary to the size of the Army now contemplated.

§ Mr. Strachey
In the calendar year 1949, 1,057 Regular commissions were granted. The comparable figure for 1950, taking into account alterations in the terms at the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst, was 792. To maintain the present establishment of Regular officers, an intake of 714 is required. The total Regular officer establishment, which is not necessarily proportionate to the size of the active Army, is now under examination. These figures do not include officers for such corps as the Royal Army Medical Corps, who are recruited from special sources.

§ Mr. Low
As the right hon. Gentleman is considering this matter personally, will he tell the House if he has yet reached any conclusion about the present rates of pay for officers?

§ Mr. Strachey
That is another question, but of course, the rates of pay for officers have just been increased.

§ Brigadier Head
Will the Secretary of State say whether the present intake of officers into the Royal Military Academy covers the increased numbers which will be leaving when the 18 months' retention expires at the end of the year?

§ Mr. Strachey
That question is linked with that of whether or not it is right to revise the Regular establishment for officers, and that is under examination. I do not want to anticipate the conclusion of that examination, but it is probable that we shall want an increased intake of Regular officers.

§ Brigadier Prior-Palmer
When he is reviewing the matter, will the right hon. Gentleman take into account that, when they join up, a large number of people with academic qualifications are either made into clerks or sent to the Army Educational Corps? Would it not be better if a higher proportion went to the fighting units in order to provide officers?

§ Mr. Low
When the right hon. Gentleman says that it is another question, will he bear in mind that in his own memorandum he has expressly linked the two things together in the paragraph about the point that pay especially affects the matter?

§ Mr. Strachey
Of course, pay affects the number of Regular recruits, officers or men.

§ 26. Mr. Low
asked the Secretary of State for War what approaches he has made to headmasters of grammar schools and public schools in view of the comparative dearth of candidates of high quality for Regular commissions; and what advice he has had from them.

§ Mr. Strachey
A personal letter is sent from the War Office to headmasters of all public schools and grammar schools three or four times a year. Headmasters are reminded of the advent of the Army entrance examination and are invited to see the selection procedure at a War Office Selection Board or the Regular Commissions Board at first hand. They are also asked whether they would like an officer to talk on the Army to the senior boys at the school. A representative cross-section of the schools is being circularised in order to obtain the views of parents, boys and schoolmasters about the Army as a career.

§ Mr. Low
Will the right hon. Gentleman make a statement to the House when he has the result of the circular?

§ Mr. Strachey
Yes, Sir.

§ Mr. Yates
Is the Minister aware that some weeks ago a very high military authority went into a high school in Birmingham to speak and stipulated that neither governors nor women should be present? Will he discourage that sort of attempt to introduce propaganda into schools?

§ Mr. Strachey
The purpose of the visit was to draw the attention of both boys and masters to the Army as a career. I do not think that could be described as propaganda.

§ Mr. Nabarro
Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that the hon. Member for Ladywood (Mr. Yates) was the sole dissenter and that the remainder of the persons consulted were overwhelmingly in favour of the proposal?

§ Mr. Hamilton
What evidence has my right hon. Friend that candidates of high quality are found exclusively in grammar schools and public schools? Might not a more fertile ground be Dartmoor?

§ Mr. Yates
May I ask for your guidance, Mr. Speaker? On Question 26, I put a supplementary question to the Secretary of State for War in regard to the visit of a high military authority to a school in Birmingham to speak to the boys on Service conditions. The hon. Member for Kidderminister (Mr. Nabarro) made what appeared to me to be a personal reflection upon me by stating that I was the sole dissenting governor of the school. I want to say that that is quite untrue. In my presence, the hon. Member made a statement that I tried to keep Lord Montgomery out. I say that that is quite untrue, and an unfair reflection upon me. I say it is quite untrue that I objected to a Ministry official being present, because I was anxious to be there myself to hear him. Therefore, I think it is quite unfair that a statement like that should be made. I think the hon. Member ought in fairness to withdraw that accusation.

§ Mr. Speaker
The hon. Member has made his explanation. We cannot have these personalities flung across the Floor of the House, and I think we had better leave it at that for the moment.