§ Sir P. HURDasked the Financial Secretary to the War Office how many men leave the Army each year; what is the character of the vocational training provided, and for how many; and in what measure are these trainees absorbed in industry and agriculture?
§ Mr. COOPERExcluding deaths and desertions, the number of men who leave the Colours each year is approximately 27,000, but of these a large number are either already tradesmen or are not eligible for vocational training for some other reason, such as discharge by purchase. The vocational training comprises two categories, training in the less 199W highly specialised trades and training in agriculture. The maximum number for whom training provision is made each year is 2,950 men. Those soldiers who have served as tradesmen do not, of course, require such training. As regards the last part of the question, out of 6,679 men who were trained at the centres in the past three years, 5,257 were placed in employment after their training, of whom 466 were absorbed in agriculture. My hon. Friend will appreciate, no doubt, that these figures take no account of a very large number of ex-soldiers for whom employment is found by Government Departments, or by voluntary organisations, with the assistance of the War Office.