Communists (Employment) (Hansard, 2 November 1954)

§ 23. Mr. Emrys Hughes
asked the Secretary of State for War what steps he is taking to prevent infiltration of the British Army by Communists.

§ Mr. Head
Our policy is in line with that announced by the then Prime Minister on 15th March, 1948, on the employment of Communists and Fascists in the Government service.

§ Mr. Hughes
Has the Minister's attention been directed to a front page news item in the "Daily Express," last week, entitled, "Army sacks Communist soldiers," stating that the Army had just come to a decision to discharge Communists. If a Regular soldier, whose mother and father are old-age pensioners, joins the Communist Party out of disgust at the treatment accorded to them, is he liable to be thrown out of the Army?

§ Mr. Head
That is a hypothetical case. I am not aware of the particular article, but I do not know of any close liaison between the "Daily Express" and the Army Council on this subject.

§ Mr. Paget
Are we to understand that to join the C.P. is a simple method of getting a free discharge?

§ Mr. Head
No, Sir.