HC Deb 20 November 1956 vol 560 cc1553-7
Mr. Hare

With your permission, Mr. Speaker, and that of the House, I wish to make a statement on the release of Army reservists.

A start can now be made with the release of recalled reservists and retained Regulars. The process will begin on Thursday next, 22nd November.

The rest of the reservists and retained Regulars must be kept in the Army for the time being, but, as my right hon. Friend the Lord Privy Seal explained in the House on 13th November, no man will be kept longer than he has to be, and we shall carry out the process of release as quickly as we can without impairing our ability to carry out the tasks which lie immediately ahead of us.

Mr. Strachey

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that we welcome, of course, his announcement that the process of release has begun? May I ask him three questions about his statement? Do his words mean that the retained Regulars will be released before all, or the bulk, of the reservists have been released? If so, is this not apt to cause anomalies?

Secondly, will the right hon. Gentleman now, or later, explain why 20,000 men had to be called up in the Reserve when, as we know, approximately 400,000 men were in the Army and 250,000 of them were in this country? We have never been able to get any explanation of this.

Thirdly, why cannot the release of the reservists go much more rapidly, in view of the cease-fire and of the replacement of our forces in Port Said by United Nations forces—[HON. MEMBERS: "No"]—to which the Lord Privy Seal has just referred?

Mr. Hare

There will be no question of the retained Regulars being released before the reservists. As I have tried to point out in my statement, we will release men whether they are retained Regulars or reservists if we do not have an immediate job for them. Therefore, the release will apply to both reservists and retained Regulars. I suggest that the second question, why we called up 20,000 reservists, might be a subject for debate on the Army Estimates or an occasion of that kind. What was the right hon. Gentleman's third point?

Mr. Strachey

Why the release could not be much more general and speeded up.

Mr. Hare

We are making a reasonable start. I do not want to try to raise people's hopes, but I think that hon. Members, on both sides, will find that we will make a reasonable start. I will certainly keep the House informed as to progress.

Mr. Royle

Will the right hon. Gentleman give special consideration to the Category II men, who, at the completion of their National Service, are given no information about their liability and, in fact, receive no pay during that liability?

Mr. Hare

I certainly will bear in mind what the hon. Member says. The whole point of this scheme is that we could have held back and released special categories, but that would have been unfair in keeping on men whom we did not really need.

Mr. Ramsden

Will my right hon. Friend consider an age and service group scheme for releases, like that which obtained at the end of the last war?

Mr. Hare

I do not think that that applies in this case. All the reserves were called up at about the same time, and I do not think that the circumstances of this present call-up applied to the schemes employed for getting people into civilian life immediately after the war.

Mr. Stokes

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that we are all delighted that after pressure from this side of the House he has at last made a start? [HON. MEMBERS: "Oh."] Well, hon. Members opposite asked for such a remark as that. What I want to ask the right hon. Gentleman is this. Can he be a little bit more explicit? Does he mean that, in the main, reservists serving in this country and in Germany will be released within the immediate future?

Secondly, in support of what my right hon. Friend the Member for Dundee, West (Mr. Strachey) has just said, may I ask the right hon. Gentleman whether he does not think that an explanation is due to the public from the Government for having to call up 20,000 reservists when they had about 400,000 men at their disposal, 250,000 of whom were at their disposal in this country?

Does he not think that the Opposition's Motion of censure which was on the Notice Paper a week or so ago, but which was removed owing to the circumstances—[Laughter.] Yes; it was removed precisely because the Government made a mess of things. Does the right hon. Gentleman not think that the demand made in that Motion for an investigation by a Select Committee of this House is fully justified?

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that that is still demanded? [HON. MEMBERS: "How many more questions? "] I am going to finish. Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that that is still demanded by the people of this country, and that they will not be satisfied with anything less?

Mr. Hare

I cannot agree with either the beginning or the end of the right hon. Gentleman's rather long statement. I believe that Members on both sides of the House are anxious to release reservists of whom we have no need, and I can assure the right hon. Gentleman that it has not needed any pressure upon me at the War Office to perceive that fact. What the right hon. Gentleman said at the end, which, I think is a matter that the right hon. Gentleman the Member for Dundee, West (Mr. Strachey) referred to, may be debated in the House.

As to the business of the speed of release, it will be possible to release people at home or in B.A.O.R. more quickly than those serving in the Middle East or farther afield, but the right hon. Gentleman will understand that it is not possible to release certain troops at home straight away, for they have to check their equipment and put it back into store. [HON. MEMBERS: "Oh."] All these things take time. I am particularly anxious not to disappoint people, but I do hope that within three weeks we shall have been able to release about 3,000 reservists and about 3,000 retained Regulars.

Mr. Stokes rose—

Mr. Nabarro

On a point of order. Is there any means, Mr. Speaker, by which the interests of private Members may be protected from the depredations on Parliamentary time of Socialist Privy Councillors seeking places in the Shadow Cabinet?

Mr. Speaker

Order. Does the right hon. Gentleman wish to ask a question?

Mr. Stokes

Yes, Mr. Speaker. I do not mind what the hon. Member said in that interruption.

I want to ask the Secretary of State for War whether he really thinks that the speed of demobilisation is quick enough. I remember that when I was told I was to be demobilised it did not take me three weeks to check my kit. I ask the right hon. Gentleman, in all seriousness, can he assure us that while the demobilisation of men in this country and Germany will be speeded up steps will also be taken to replace reservists who are now overseas by Regular serving soldiers from other units?

Mr. Hare

I can only repeat what I have already said, that we intend to carry out the process as quickly as possible; but I do not want to mislead people. The estimates which I have given are very conservative. We hope to do better.

Mr. Gresham Cooke

If it becomes necessary to recall these reservists again during the present emergency, will a further Proclamation be necessary?

Mr. Speaker

Is not that a hypothetical question?

Mr. Shurmer

In view of the right hon. Gentleman's statement about the releasing of about 3,000 out of 20,000 reservists in three weeks' time, can he promise, seeing that we are very near Christmas, that many of these reservists, if they are then still in the Army messing about, will be allowed to go home on Christmas leave, to be recalled if necessary?

Mr. Hare

I have every sympathy, as I am sure all hon. Members of the House have, with all those concerned, but we must not mislead people by raising their hopes. I have purposely tried to understate these estimates.