§ Mr. M. Samuelasked the Minister of Agriculture whether he is aware that the application of Mr. R. G. Gower-Quiroga, a civil servant, who served as a lieutenant in the Royal Northumberland Fusiliers during the last war and is now only 42 years of age, and is anxious to serve in the Officers Emergency Reserve, has been refused on the ground that he is in a reserved occupation; and whether he will consider making exceptions in this and similar cases of men who are suitable for training recruits, and releasing them from their posts?
§ Mr. ElliotCivil servants are reserved at the age of 25 and, as with other classes appearing in the Schedule of Reserved Occupations, enlistment, save in exceptional circumstances, is not allowed in420W the case of persons of or above the age of reservation. Machinery exists, however, whereby special consideration can be given to persons of or above the age of reservation, who possess qualifications or experience of special value to the Armed Forces and of whose services those Forces have particular need. Enrolment in the Officers Emergency Reserve is, I understand, suspended for the time being and no immediate question of the exceptional release of Mr. Gower-Quiroga therefore arises.