§ 93. Major Beamishasked the Secretary of State for War how many National Service men have applied to join the Territorial Army as volunteers on completion of their active service; and what percentage this is of all those who could have so applied.
§ Mr. StracheyUp to 25th April, 462 National Service men had applied to join the Territorial Army as volunteers on completion of their whole-time service. This is 2.3 per cent. of the number who could have so applied.
§ 94. Major Beamishasked the Secretary of State for War if he will now announce the amount of the bounty that volunteers in the Territorial Army will receive; and how much extra training will be required to earn this bounty.
§ Mr. StracheyIf, as I presume, the hon. and gallant Member is referring to National Service men who become volunteers in the Territorial Army, these matters are still under consideration.
§ 96. Captain Ryderasked the Secretary of State for War if he is aware that the closing down of certain drill halls through amalgamation of units may adversely affect recruiting; and what action he proposes to take.
§ Mr. StracheyAll possible measures have been taken to avoid the danger to which the hon. and gallant Member has drawn attention. Generally speaking, wherever there was an appreciatble number of volunteers, the Territorial Army centre has been kept open and where an amalgamation resulted in one unit evacuating a centre, it has, in the majority of cases, been taken over by another unit in the same area. In addition, volunteers who now find themselves too far from their units centre have, wherever possible, been given the opportunity of joining another similar unit.