§ Mr. McGovernasked the Secretary of State for War if he is aware that soldiers who have served with C.M.F. for over two and a half years are being asked when being granted compassionate leave to sign a declaration to the effect that they will serve a further one and a half years overseas when leave is ended; and if he will put an end to this practice.
§ Sir J. GriggAs I said in my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Leigh (Mr. Tinker) on 19th December, a man who comes to this country on leave, not on repatriation, returns when his leave is over to the theatre where he came from. But this does not interfere with his right to be repatriated to this country when his time comes. A few individuals in the first group of men coming on leave from Italy were asked to sign a declaration on the lines referred to in this Question, but this has been stopped.
§ Mr. Manningasked the Secretary of State for War whether soldiers serving with the Eighth Army who have served upwards of 3½ years overseas are precluded from securing leave, but are required to finish 4½ years service overseas before they can expect to come home.
§ Sir J. GriggAs I have stated on more than one occasion the detailed conditions for leave, as opposed to repatriation, to this country are left to the discretion of Commanders-in-Chief overseas. Men who come on leave return, while those repatriated do not, to the theatre in which they were formerly serving. But they retain their right to repatriation when their turn comes. It would be quite natural, therefore, for Commanders-in-664W Chief to confine, and most of them in fact do confine, leave in the main to men who will still on their return have an appreciable time to serve before they are eligible for repatriation.
§ Mr. Lipsonasked the Secretary of State for War if definite periods of leave are normally granted to all men serving in the Middle East; and for how long and at what intervals.
§ Sir J. GriggLeave for men serving in this theatre is granted at the discretion of the Commander-in-Chief, Middle East, who may authorise a total of 28 days' local recuperative, leave in each year. This leave is normally taken in two periods of 14 days each, but it may be taken in one period of 28 days, or in certain cases, in four periods of seven days each. The men travel free to the nearest health resort or leave centre.
§ Sir E. Graham-Littleasked the Secretary of State for War whether he is aware that while all soldiers serving in North-West Europe with six months' service there have been promised leave before next spring, those soldiers who served in Malta during the siege of that island and who are still in the Mediterranean area, notwithstanding an absence from their homes of over three years, have each only one chance in four of receiving leave to the United Kingdom during the whole of 1945; and whether he will take steps to remedy this injustice.
§ Sir J. GriggI realise that men in the British Liberation Army stand a better chance of leave to this country than men in more distant theatres of war. This is due to the fact that the journey from North-West Europe is short and that the shipping used is on the whole unsuitable for longer voyages. It is, therefore, possible to bring men back for a week, whereas the journey from the Mediterranean and more distant theatres is only possible and worth while if the stay in this country is longer. I regret that more frequent opportunities for leave to this country cannot at present be given to men in distant theatres of war. The curtailment of the leave of men from the British Liberation Army would not benefit them.
§ Mr. Silkinasked the Secretary of State for War whether men in the Army who are serving abroad in training camps and 665W not attached to any particular unit are entitled to home leave in the same way as men attached to units.
§ Sir J. GriggYes, Sir, subject to what was said in the last part of the answer I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Oxford (Mr. Hogg) on 5th December.