§ 10. Mr. Roger KingTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many cadet units of the three services exist in inner city areas of the United Kingdom; and what steps are being taken to examine further expansion.
§ Mr. FreemanThere are 65 detachments of the Army Cadet Force, Air Training Corps and Sea Cadets located in or near inner-city areas. We are examining the feasibility of introducing a pilot expansion programme in the west midlands, initially covering the Army Cadet Force and, we hope, the Sea Cadets.
§ Mr. KingI thank my hon. Friend for that reply. Does he agree that it is much better that young people honour our flag as the sea cadets do, rather than dishonouring it as hooligans overseas? In considering further support for the cadet movement, will he pay particular attention to the training ship Cirius in the Bartley Green area of my constituency, which has only just commenced operations and requires all the encouragement that it can possibly get for its excellent work?
§ Mr. FreemanI very much agree with my hon. Friend. The cadets is not a military organisation but is part of the national youth movement. It contributes to good citizenship, a sense of good discipline and is to be congratulated. I understand that the unit in my hon. Friend's constituency is a trial one and I shall follow its progress, as I am sure he will, very carefully.
§ Mr. CryerWhen the Ministry of Defence is dealing with cadet units, how does it explain that one of the philosophies of the British armed forces is the potential mass extermination of men, women and children on a scale never yet contemplated on our planet, and that this will be done whatever the views of those men, women and children, through the use of nuclear weapons? Is that not one of the most horrific and immoral attitudes, similar to the extermination of the Jews by Hitler in the 1939 war? How does the Minister square that with the philosophy——
§ Mr. SpeakerOrder. The hon. Gentleman is going miles wide of the question. [Interruption.]
§ Mr. SpeakerOrder. We must stick to the question.
§ Sir Jim SpicerI am certain that my hon. Friend will be assured of the support of most hon. Members in his laudable efforts to increase the number of units in inner city areas, but is there any way in which he can encourage local authorities and education authorities to stop blocking the expansion of units and to encourage them to be set up in association with schools?
§ Mr. FreemanYes, I agree with my hon. Friend that it is regrettable that some schools and local education authorities do not permit those seeking to establish cadet organisations in schools——
§ Mr. RogersWhere?
§ Mr. FreemanIf the hon. Member for Rhondda (Mr. Rogers) will table a question, I shall answer it. The purpose of the cadet organisations is to serve Queen and country and to defend this country.
§ Mr. Tony BanksWould it not be better if the Minister encouraged our young people to join the woodcraft folk [Interruption.]——
§ Mr. SpeakerOrder. We are making slow progress.
§ Mr. BanksIt is a fairly reasonable question. If they joined the woodcraft folk they could learn about peaceful co-existence and go to the countryside and have a good time rather than learning about killing people.
§ Mr. FreemanThe purpose of the cadet organisations and the junior elements of the regular armed forces is to teach, in part, the elements of self-discipline, self-respect and service to the community.