§ 4. Mr. James Davidsonasked the Secretary of State for Defence if, in view of the proposed manpower cuts for the Armed Services, he will give immediate and special consideration to those Servicemen who have persistently applied for discharge by purchase or on compassionate grounds.
§ Mr. ReynoldsWe always give such consideration to applications for compassionate discharge. However, we have to consider applications for discharge by purchase in the light of our current manpower needs.
§ Mr. DavidsonMay I ask the Minister what are his general intentions about future recruiting policy for the Armed Services?
§ Mr. ReynoldsThis is a slightly different question, but our intentions are to carry on recruiting, if we can, the numbers required to maintain the various 1319 units in all three Services up to the strength laid down for the appropriate years in the announcements of Government policy which have been made.
§ Mr. PagetIn existing circumstances would my hon. Friend still consider it justifiable to refuse purchase of discharge to an aircraftman who had by self-education won himself a place in a university?
§ Mr. ReynoldsIf he has not served the minimum number of years provided for under the Regulations currently applied to the Air Force, yes. In circumstances above that number of years, we will want to look at each case individually.
§ Mr. LubbockIs the Minister not aware that the National Council for Civil Liberties has sent his office many examples of Servicemen being retained when they have no special qualifications which are of use to the particular service? Why does he persist in refusing to give these people discharges?
§ Mr. ReynoldsI cannot accept the part about no special qualifications. As the hon. Gentleman is aware, the National Council for Civil Liberties has sent me details of a little over a hundred cases which they have collected covering a 10-year period. I have to compare these with something in excess of 125,000 boy entrants who are at present serving in Her Majesty's Forces.