§ Mr. Henderson Stewartasked the Lord Privy Seal whether he can make any report upon the response to date to the national service appeal?
§ Sir J. AndersonIt is now only six days since the distribution of the National Service Guide was substantially completed, and it is not possible for me at this stage to give complete or accurate figures for the number of applications for enrolment so far received. From reports which I have obtained from all over the country, however, it appears that up to and including Saturday last, 4th February, over 100,000 applications for enrolment had been received at the local national service offices. This figure naturally does not include considerable numbers of applications made to the offices of various services direct and not at that date transmitted to the National Service Department of the Ministry of Labour.
I hope to be in a position to give the House fuller information of the progress of the campaign when I have received the detailed returns which I have arranged shall be furnished to me for the period ending 18th February.