§ The Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Labour (Mr. Harold Watkinson)I should like to take this opportunity of making a personal statement to clear up any confusion arising from my reply to the supplementary question put by the right hon. Gentleman the Member for Blyth (Mr. Robens) to Question No. 53 on yesterday's Order Paper.
I gave a figure for the proportion of men passed as fit for National Service who, on entering the Armed Forces, are discharged on medical grounds within the first 14 days of service. The figure I gave as "7 per cent." I should have said, and intended to say, "0.7 per cent.," that is, seven per 1,000 men were so discharged from the Army in 1951, the last year for which figures are available.
I apologise very sincerely for unintentionally misleading the House and welcome this opportunity of making the necessary correction.
§ Mr. RobensWe can well understand that in the detail of Questions and answers, and supplementary questions 726 and answers, it was easy to misread a figure in that way. We quite admit that the figure the right hon. Gentleman used gave us all a shock, but we accept the explanation which has been so willingly given.
§ Mr. YatesI am sure that my hon. Friend the Member for Sparkbrook (Mr. Shurmer) will appreciate this statement, so that anxiety shall not be exaggerated. We nevertheless hope that this alteration will not in any way deter the Minister from the very thorough examination that he intends to make, as anxiety in the City of Birmingham is very grave, especially in view of the fact that I have only recently placed a case before his right hon. Friend, a serious case, that is under examination at the moment. I trust that the hon. Gentleman will not be deterred by the fact that the figure that he gives now is not so serious as the one he gave yesterday.
§ Mr. WatkinsonThe investigation is proceeding.
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