Mr. D. WHITEasked the right hon. Member for Barnard Castle, as representing the Ministry of National Service, what is the estimated aggregate number of men employed on Admiralty premises, in shipbuilding yards, engineering works, munition factories, and other essential industries, who will be invited to enrol under the National Service scheme; what is the estimated number of the staff that will be required to enrol them; and what will be the probable aggregate cost to the taxpayers of their enrolment?
§ Mr. BECKMy right hon. Friend has requested me to reply to, this question. No satisfactory estimate of the number of1748W men engaged in essential industries who may enrol under the National Service scheme can be given without incurring an unjustifiable amount of expense and without the risk of giving valuable information to the enemy. It is not proposed to allocate special staff to the work of enrolling such volunteers, and little or no additional cost to the taxpayers is anticipated under this heading.