§ 36. Mr. Wainwrightasked the Secretary of State for War if he will state the number of officers serving in the Army who are under the age of 25 years; how many of them are married; and what is the number of such officers who are now stationed abroad.
§ Mr. ProfumoThere are 3,190 officers in the Army under the age of 25; of these 333 are married, and of this latter number, 136 are serving abroad.
§ Mr. WainwrightIn view of the fact that a very small percentage of these officers are married and are under 25 and abroad, would the right hon. Gentleman make certain that the wives of those officers can join them and that the Government will be responsible for their fares?
§ Mr. ProfumoI am afraid I cannot give that undertaking. There is a longstanding regulation that officers under the age of 25 do get treated not so well as those over 25, and I do not see—and I have had a look at this very carefully—any way in which I can alter this arrangement.
§ Mr. WainwrightDoes not the Minister think it a very unjust and very unfair penalty on these young men? What right have the Government to say that a man shall not marry till he is over 25 years of age? It behoves the Government to make certain that they play fair and justly with these boys. Will the Minister give further consideration to this?
§ Mr. ProfumoWe always give further consideration to these matters and we are 398 considering them the whole time. The hon. Gentleman asked what right the Government have in this matter of marriages of young officers under 25. We have no right, and we are not saying that we have. With regard to what right we have to say that those under the age of 25 do not get special consideration, that right was laid down by hon. and right hon. Gentlemen opposite when they were in office.