HC Deb 10 July 1956 vol 556 cc183-5
31 and 34. Mr. Allaun

asked the Secretary of State for War (1) at what time of day, on seven out of their 15 days' reserve training, three National Service men started the work of making cardboard barrows for an officers' mess cocktail party at Kempston;

(2) what representations he has now received from ex-National Service men Hodgson and Quy and from hon. Members regarding the making of cardboard barrows for an officers' mess cocktail party at Kempston Camp; and if he will make a statement.

The Secretary of State for War (Mr. Antony Head)

Two of the men referred to were clerks who were employed in the office of Headquarters, Army Emergency Reserve during their part-time training. They attended normal parades in the morning and afternoon and carried out the documentation of reservists who were carrying out their annual training at the camp. This work is spasmodic and did not occupy all their time.

In the intervals, during the five working days from Thursday of the first week of camp to Wednesday of the second these men made these barrows. I cannot give a detailed timetable as they were not under continuous supervision. The third soldier, a painter, who reported for training a week later than the others did part-time work on them from Monday to Wednesday only.

I have received no direct representation from the soldier who wrote the articles in the Manchester newspaper which brought the attention of several hon. Members to the case. I have received a letter of complaint from the other soldier.

Mr. Allaun

Is the Minister aware that these men state that they started making the barrows at 8 a.m. daily? As in the House, at Question Time last month, the Minister stated that the work was done in their leisure time, thereby creating the impression that it was done outside Service hours, does he not think that he should tell the House that he unintentionally misled it? Is he aware that the men agreed to do this work only because, apart from making cardboard chess sets and using them, they had no other work to do?

Mr. Head

No, Sir, what happened was as I stated. These men did this work in their spare time. I will admit—and I said this before—that these men were not as fully employed as they should have been. Part of the reason was that in two cases their camps had been transferred, at their own request, from the proper date, which meant their going to a different unit, to which they did not belong. It is also of interest that none of these men complained at the time that he had not enough to do. Had they complained, they might have been given extra duties.

Mr. Strachey

Would not the Secretary of State agree that this is only another instance of the progressive difficulty of finding useful purposes for the part-time Reserve when called up, and is it not another case of the growing inappropriateness of the whole National Service system at the moment?

Mr. Head

We have 26,000 A.E.R. men being trained, and this is the first complaint which has been aired in the House of Commons on this A.E.R. training. A very large number of men now do this training only once, after which they have finished. Furthermore, there has had to be reorganisation because of the one-year instead of the three-year system.

Mr. Shinwell

Ought not the right hon. Gentleman to regard this matter rather more seriously than he does? What is the purpose of this 15-days' Reserve training if men are to be occupied in such tasks? Would he give the House an assurance that he will make an inquiry into the matter in order to ensure that men's time is being properly used——

Mr. Ellis Smith

That would be a change.

Mr. Shinwell

—for the purpose for which the Reserve is intended?

Mr. Head

I take this matter extremely seriously. I have made a great many inquiries into it and have gone as far as to say to the commanders-in-chief that if they consider that part-time training is a waste of time for men, because of various reasons of organisation on a short-term basis, it should be cancelled. I would point out, however, that in all this part-time training—and this is especially true of the A.E.R.—there must be National Service men doing part-time training who have to look after the administration of the camps. Somebody has to do these hewer-of-wood and drawer-of-water tasks.