§ Mr. Bossomasked the Minister of Agriculture the total number of agricultural workers who have applied for releases under the B and C Schemes; and how many of these have been granted such release since 1st January, 1946.
§ Mr. Lawson:I have been asked to reply. Agricultural workers should not apply for Class B release, but individual authorities are issued by the Service Departments for an offer of Class B release to be made to all those eligible. The figures, which include both those 327W dealt with under the Block release scheme and individual specialists are as follow:
— Navy. Army. R.A.F. Offer of Class B release authorised 1,600 27,299 6,915 Released under Class B between 1st January and 15th March, 1946 172 6,420 1,586 In a considerable number of cases the release authority was issued comparatively recently and the result of the offer is therefore not yet known.
Two hundred and forty-four men released from the Army under Class C were recorded as agricultural workers, but it does not follow that all of them returned to agriculture, nor was the reason for their release necessarily connected in any way with their occupation. Records are not available of the number of agricultural workers released under Class C in the other two Services.