§ 17. Mr. Buckasked the Secretary of State for War, if, in view of the marked shortage of trained personnel of an appropriate calibre, he will recommend the amendment of Queen's Regulations so as to remove the bar to promotion to warrant officers I of non-commissioned officers of warrant officer II rank who have attained the age of 42 years.
§ Mr. RamsdenMy right hon. Friend does not agree that Queen's Regulations should be amended. There is no shortage of warrant officers class II who are qualified for promotion to class I; and there is no age limit for promotion to the acting rank. The Queen's Regulations already provide that the age limit of 42 for promotion to the susbtantive rank may be waived in exceptional cases.
§ Mr. BuckI thank my hon. Friend for that full reply. Would he not agree that, in this age of vigorous longevity, it is quite ridiculous to have any bar to promotion at so young an age as 42, and that it is unfair that a person over that age, who in ordinary circumstances would be appointed to warrant officer class I acting rank and who would serve in that capacity for perhaps a long period, should never have any prospect of enjoying the added security of full substantive rank?
§ Mr. RamsdenMy hon. Friend will recognise that we must have a balanced age structure in the Army. If there is no normal age limit for substantive promotion to warrant officer class I, the average age of promotion of the lower ranks will go up, and to block the promotion of younger men would be bad for both morale and recruitment.