§ 2.54 p.m.
§ LORD MANCROFTMy Lords, I beg to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.
§ [The Question was as follows:
§ To ask His Majesty's Government whether they can state the approximate number of Class Z reservists who, upon completion of their reserve service, have expressed a desire to join the Territorial Army.]
VISCOUNT ALEXANDER OF HILLS BOROUGHMy Lords, I regret that it is not possible to say how many Class Z reservists have expressed a desire to join the Territorial Army after the completion of their period of fifteen days' training. To obtain such information it would be necessary to consult each Territorial Army or Supplementary Reserve unit which has completed its fifteen days' training; and I think the noble Lord will agree that it would be undesirable to take up the time of the units with such an inquiry at the present stage.
§ LORD MANCROFTMy Lords, whilst thanking the noble Viscount for his reply, may I ask him this supplementary question? Does he not think that many more Class Z reservists would be able to join the Territorial Army if they had not been sent to do their Class Z reserve training with units so far away from their homes that it has proved impossible for them, with the best will in the world, to join those units? Will the noble Viscount look into this matter, and see that the number of men posted to units far from their homes is kept to the lowest figure?
VISCOUNT ALEXANDER OF HILLS BOROUGHMy Lords, this question has been raised with the Secretary of State for War in another place. In the view of the Army authorities it would have been impossible to arrange matters along that line, which, of course, prima facie seems highly desirable, if we are to carry out the purpose of this particular operation in which we are engaged—that is, calling up people specially suited to fill the gaps in the mobilisation machinery. It would have been impossible to secure the effectiveness that we are achieving by working along local and geographical lines. On the other hand, there is nothing in that system which need prevent those who are coming into contact with Territorial authorities, joining the Territorial Army and attaching themselves during their voluntary Territorial membership to their local units.
§ VISCOUNT BRIDGEMANWill the noble Viscount ensure that this matter is given further study, particularly as the Territorial camps will be held in a month's time?
VISCOUNT ALEXANDER OF HILLS BOROUGHI wish that I could give an assurance; but I cannot. However, I will convey the noble Viscount's remarks to the Secretary of State.