§ Mr. LORDENasked the Minister of Labour what order is followed in the demobilisation of officers and men serving in the Army applied for by employers; if preference is given to married men; and if instructions can be given for the immediate release of men coming under the class known as one-man business?
§ Mr. WARDLEThe current instructions as to priority of release will be found in Army Order 14 of the 20th January and Army Council Instruction No. 69 of the 30th January, 1919, copies of which I have already sent to the hon. Member. In all cases preference is given, other things being equal, to married men.
The fact that a man is the proprietor of a one-man business is not of itself sufficient to render himself eligible for demobilisation, but, provided he is eligible under the recent Army Order dealing with the constitution of the Armies of Occupation, he receives the same priority as "slip" or contract men applied for by their employers in the same trade. In addition, a large number of proprietors of one-man businesses were registered by the War Office before 1st February for release as pivotal men.