§ 15. Mr. Peartasked the Secretary of State for War the strength of the voluntary element in the Territorial Army; and what is the increase in the last 12 months.
§ Mr. HeadAt the beginning of this year, volunteers in the Territorial Army numbered 60,310 and National Service volunteers 55,776. In 1953 there was an increase of some 18,000 National Service volunteers and a decrease of about 7,000 direct volunteers.
§ Mr. PeartWill the Minister bear these figures in mind carefully, and will he consider also introducing some special form of incentives?
Mr. Head: I have these figures very much in mind.
§ Mr. ShinwellIs not the number of volunteers for the Territorial Army fewer now than three or four years ago? Does the right hon. Gentleman recall how he complained about our inactivity and lack of imagination and influence? Can he explain his failure in this respect?
§ Mr. HeadThe right hon. Gentleman's question displays an abysmal ignorance of the problem. The point is, as he knows, that the volunteers who are not National Service men are inevitably getting older—nobody can avoid that. Therefore, in the future the Territorial Army must rely for its volunteer element on men who were originally serving part-time on National Service.
§ Mr. ShinwellWhen did the right hon. Gentleman make that discovery? He displayed abysmal ignorance of the situation when he was on this side of the House.
§ Mr. HeadWhat we urged upon the right hon. Gentleman was that his efforts should be directed to retaining as many of the direct volunteers as possible, and to inducing the part-time National Service man to stay on. That is what we are belatedly doing.
§ Mr. EdeAre we to understand that the Government have abandoned the hope of getting volunteers for the Territorial Army before the National Service age?
§ Mr. HeadI should not like to give an answer without notice, but I think it is a rarity at the moment for men to volunteer before they are called up for National Service.