§ LORD MANCROFTMy Lords, I beg leave to ask His Majesty's Government the question standing in my name on the Order Paper.
§ [The question was as follows:
§ To ask His Majesty's Government how many deserters from the Forces are still at large in the United Kingdom, and whether it is proposed to take any new steps towards their apprehension.]
§ VISCOUNT ADDISONMy Lords, excluding men who deserted before September 1, 1939, the number still unaccounted for, and possibly in the United Kingdom, is about 16,500 for the three 504 Services. It cannot, of course, be said how many of them are in fact still at large in the United Kingdom. No new measures for their apprehension are contemplated at the moment.
§ LORD MANCROFTWhilst I thank the noble Viscount the Leader of the House for that information, may I ask whether the fact that these men have managed to stay at large for such a long time does not suggest that the system of civilian identity cards, upon which, I understand, a thousand civil servants are employed at a cost of £250,000, has possibly outlived its usefulness?
§ VISCOUNT ADDISONI am quite sure that all those considerations will be borne in mind.