§ Sir SAMUEL ROBERTSasked the Secretary of State for War whether he is aware that non-commissioned officers and men of the 29th Royal Garrison Artillery stationed on headquarters and guns in Sheffield and district who are eligible for demobilisation are being kept in the Service, while young men with short service have been returned to civil life?
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§ Mr. CHURCHILLIt is no doubt true that in some cases younger men and men of shorter service have been demobilised. This is owing to the fact that dispersal drafts are made up on a certain order of priority, and that as far as possible a proportion of men of all classes as laid down in the order of priority are included in the drafts sent for dispersal. No men who are not eligible for demobilisation under existing Regulations are being demobilised with the exception of extreme compassionate cases, and it would be unfair to demobilise the whole of the men in one class to the exclusion of men in other classes. I may add that provision has been made for the appointment of senior officers to inspect unit registers with a view to ensuring that no officers or men (including those of administrative services and departments, such as Military Police, Army Pay Corps, etc.), who are eligible for demobilisation, are being retained without a good and sufficient cause.