§ Mr. O. LEWISasked the Secretary of State for War whether the Government propose to take steps to ensure that soldiers are given good employment on leaving the service?
§ Mr. SHINWELLMy right hon. Friend the Secretary of State is keenly interested in all measures for finding the soldier civil employment on his discharge from. the Army, and will give sympathetic consideration to any schemes which are likely to foster and extend those measures. I am sending the hon. Member a copy of the "Guide to Civil Employment for Regular Sailors and Soldiers and Airmen" and a pamphlet on "Army Vocational Training" which will show generally what is being done in the matter. Under the Vocational Training Scheme for which provision is made on pages 109–110 of Army Estimates arrangements are in force for training over 2,500 men in anticipation268W of their return to civil life. During 1928 of the numbers so trained 81.5 percent, had obtained employment before leaving the Army. Apart from this training scheme the War Department, as the Guide to Civil Employment shows, is in close touch with other Government Departments with a view to securing suitable posts in Government employment for ex-regular soldiers, and the possibilities of extending the opportunities in this direction are under active consideration by the War Office in co-operation with the Government Departments concerned. Schemes are also being considered for the co-ordination of the efforts of the organizations, regimental or otherwise, which work on behalf of ex-regular soldier. These include over 100 Regimental Associations, the National Association for Employment of Regular Sailors, Soldiers and Airmen, the Incorporated Soldiers' and Sailors' Help Society, and the British Legion.