§ 6.53 p.m.
§ LORD LLEWELLINMy Lords, I beg to ask the first question standing in my name.
§ [The question was as follows:
§ To ask His Majesty's Government how many men and women respectively have been released from each of the three Fighting Services under the Class B release scheme up to the end of the year 1945, and how many such persons have been released to that date under the Class A scheme.]
§ THE PARLIAMENTARY UNDERSECRETARY OF STATE FOR WAR (LORD NATHAN)My Lords, I will with permission circulate a full statement embodying the required information in the Official Report. I would draw attention to the fact that, allowing for the time-lag in reporting releases from the Navy, the total number of men and women released or discharged from the three Services between June 18, 1945, when the release scheme started and the end of the year was 1,511,800 representing about 1,700 in excess of the programme of 1,510,100. Thus the Government's promise of one-and-a-half million releases by the end of 1945 was fulfilled, despite the unusually bad weather in December which caused substantial delays in transporting men from overseas during that month.
§ LORD LLEWELLINDo I understand the noble Lord to have answered both my questions together?
§ LORD NATHANNo.
§ LORD LLEWELLINBecause, if that be not so, might I just ask him whether he can give me the percentage of Class B and Class A, which is the sole point of my first question?
§ LORD NATHANI propose to circulate with the Official Report a full statement of the figures which will give him. I believe, all the information which he has sought. I think they would be troublesome and difficult to follow if I were to attempt to give these figures verbally now.
§ The statement referred to by Lord Nathan was as follows: