4. Mr. B. Harrisonasked the Secretary of State for War how many National Service meal were discharged before completing their two years' service in the months of August, September, and October, 1960; for what reasons; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. ProfumoWith permission, I will circulate the detailed figures in the OFFICIAL REPORT. The totals, however, for the three months are as follows:
Discharged on medical grounds 1,438 Discharged on compassionate grounds 481 Discharged on disciplinary grounds 46 Discharged, their services no longer required 17
§ Following are the figures:
§ a question of money. It is a question of the capacity of cloth-making and, indeed, of the tailors, because we require a very large capacity to produce all the clothes—something like half a million suits—and, as the right hon. Gentleman knows, we are particular what we give to the Army. One of the troubles is that the rather small capacity for making this specialised uniform is at present very fully employed in meeting the ordinary demands of the home market. I am, however, doing everything I can to try to speed up matters and I think—I am speaking without notes—that by the end of the next financial year we shall have half the Army in the new clothes.
§ Mr. C. OsborneIs my right hon. Friend saying that clothing manufacturers have said that they cannot fulfil these orders?
§ Mr. ProfumoI did not say that; my hon. Friend has misunderstood me. I said that, as I understand it, the clothing trade cannot speed up the orders any further than is at present arranged, but I am having a meeting with representatives of the trade in the very near future to see what can be done.