§ 13. Mr. Rhodesasked the Secretary of State for Defence what were the percentages of cadets accepted into the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst, in the years 1962, 1963 and 1964, respectively, who were formerly educated in Headmasters' 1703 Conference Schools, and State secondary schools, respectively.
§ 65. Mr. Allasonasked the Secretary of State for Defence what were the percentages of cadets applying for admission to the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst, in the years 1962, 1963 and 1964, respectively, who were formerly educated in Headmasters' Conference Schools and State secondary schools, respectively.
§ Mr. MulleyFor applicants to the Regular Commissions Board the figures are approximately 53 per cent. for Headmasters' Conference schools and 47 per cent. for State secondary schools for the financial year 1962–63, 48 per cent. and 52 per cent. for 1963–64, and 48 per cent. and 52 per cent. for 1964–65. For cadets accepted into the Royal Military Academy, they are 60 per cent. and 40 per cent., 59 per cent. and 41 per cent., and 63 per cent. and 37 per cent. The figures for applicants to the Regular Commissions Board do not include boys who 20 to the R.M.A. from Welbeck or as Army Scholars.
§ Mr. RhodesWould my right hon. Friend bear in mind that that Answer, together with the Written Answer of 30th March to my hon. Friend the Member for Doncaster (Mr. Harold Walker), indicates that 61 per cent. of the entrants into Sandhurst come from public schools, compared with 42 per cent. into the Royal Naval College and only 25 per cent. into the Royal Air Force College? Why should the Army stand relatively aloof from the tendency to break down social snobbery and class barriers? Cannot the northern grammar schools produce first-class officer material for the Army if the Army really wants to find it?
§ Mr. MulleyI think that my hon. Friend would be wrong to approach this matter from the point of view of the particular schools from which the boys come. The Army is very glad to have good candidates from any type of school. I should be grateful if my hon. Friend would, as I have suggested to him previously, come and have a look at the procedure employed by the selection board. We are pleased with the increase of 20 per cent. in the last year of applicants from northern schools. We do all we can by way of advertising, visits of lecturers and school liaison teams to 1704 schools, most of them State secondary schools, and we should be very glad to see an increase both in applications and entries from the State system.
§ Captain LitchfieldDoes the right hon. Gentleman agree that the object is to get the best possible officers, irrespective of where they are educated?
§ Mr. MulleyThat is the object, but I understand that there is a feeling that boys from the State grammar schools do not get possibly the full consideration that they should. We are examining this matter and I will be grateful for help from any quarter to get more grammar school boys into the Army.
§ Mr. Harold WalkerDoes my right hon. Friend recall the recent correspondence I had with him over a disillusioned constituent of mine who had been rejected? Will he bear in mind the view expressed by my constituent that at the selection board more importance appeared to be given to people with the right social background than to any other kind of talent?
§ Mr. MulleyI am satisfied that the tests are not directed to the social background of the candidates. At the same time, it is extremely difficult to give information about the rightness or incorrectness of a decision in an individual case.