§ Mr. Hepworthasked the Minister of Labour (1) whether he will investigate the position of young able-bodied men who have sought protection by taking up engineering or similar industrial work of which they have had no previous experience;
2264W(2) whether to produce the maximum man-power capable of front-line service, he will investigate the position of young men who have sought protection by purchasing farms, or inducing relatives to purchase them, so that they can in appearance be associated with the full production effort of the country?
§ Mr. BevinAs explained in paragraph 8 of the Explanatory Memorandum to the Schedule of Reserved Occupations (Revision December, 1941), an unreserved man who enters a reserved occupation does not now become reserved by reason of the change. A case must be made out on the merits of the man's work for his retention in industry. This has not hitherto been the rule because the expansion of essential war-time industries has necessitated the absorption of a great many persons without previous experience of them. In any case in which it is found that a man is not genuinely following the reserved occupation, he is called up. In this, I have had the active co-operation in agricultural cases of my right hon. Friend the Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries and of the War Agricultural Executive Committees. If my hon. Friend will furnish details of specific cases I shall be glad to investigate them.