Vote 9. Miscellaneous Effective Services (Hansard, 10 March 1960)

§ Mr. Mulley
In the few remaining minutes, I would stress a particular aspect of this Vote which I think is of great importance and will be of great importance in the years to come, namely, publicity on recruiting. The point was made in the debate yesterday, and I think should be stressed again, that the War Office in approaching this matter quotes the pay of the Service men completely net, without making it clear for comparison purposes that there are allowances, rations, married allowances and so on.
The Minister of Defence mentioned yesterday that he was making a great drive for general recruiting and was getting Sir Frederic Hooper's assistance and so on. I wonder to what extent he has been planning to do a special job for the Army. I notice that the Central Office of Information does most of the work. Does part of the cost fall on its vote as well as on this one? Is the sum that we have heard the whole cost of publicity on recruiting? I am sorry that 776 there is not more time because I think that hon. Members could give the hon. Gentleman a lot of expert advice on how to go about this publicity for recruiting, Which is an extremely important matter.
In my final words tonight on the Army Estimates—I have the Adjournment to come—I would stress that if we could have more defence debates before we come round to considering the Army in twelve months' time, it would give general satisfaction to both sides of the Committee.

§ Mr. Wigg
I want to refer to the payment in respect of the Suez Canal base. I had the pleasure of taking a deputation of British officers interned by Nasser at the time of Suez to see the hon. Gentleman, and subsequently the Prime Minister was good enough to see them. Some concessions were made to them in terms of their being given better jobs and, in some cases, meeting their financial difficulties. Now that we have some new Conservative Members I hope that we shall again look at this problem. I had to do it all on my own. I am very pleased and proud that I managed to do something with the help of the hon. Gentleman, and I acknowledge his kindness and courtesy in this matter.
There was a major injustice to 470 British officers who were serving this country in the Suez base and who were interned. Many of them came back, having lost health and money, and nothing was done for them. I am sure that this was not the wish of the War Office. All the time that I was talking to the Secretary of State and to the Undersecretary they were on my side.
The trouble is the old and ancient enemy the Treasury. If hon. Members opposite would form themselves into a deputation and storm the citadels of that barren and bleak place they would be putting right what, I am sure, is a major injustice and a blot on our record. The simple point is that these chaps were interned and because of that, the Treasury, governed by precedent, says that we must not help our nationals if they have been interned by another power.
These officers were there and many of them had resigned their Regular commissions and had undertaken service in the 777 Suez base at the request of the Government. When they came home they got little more than scant justice. I hope that many hon. Members will go into this matter and, if I can give them any information, I shall be glad to do so.

§ Mr. H. Fraser
I will certainly look at the publicity point so rightly raised by the hon. Gentleman the Member for Sheffield, Park (Mr. Mulley). Of course, part of the C.O.I. Vote is as he knows, covered on page 7 of the Estimates. I thank the hon. Gentleman the Member for Dudley (Mr. Wigg) for the kind words he said about me, but I must tell him here and now that so far as the War Office is concerned we can take no further steps. We believe that we behaved honourably in this matter, as did the Prime Minister and the Government.