HC Deb 22 January 1942 vol 377 cc454-6W
Sir L. Lyle

asked the Secretary of State for War the areas in which compulsion to join the Home Guard has been or will be enforced?

Sir E. Grigg

The areas in which compulsion to join the Home Guard will be applied have not yet been decided.

Sir L. Lyle

asked the Secretary of State for War whether factory workers who are encouraged to join the Home Guard, would, in case of invasion, be called up, and compelled to leave their important work in the factories; and whether, since the output of munitions will in any case continue to be essential, he will reconsider his decision not to introduce additional facilities for training these men in the use of rifles and machine-guns, so that, if need arose, they could at least defend their own places of work and homes?

Sir E. Grigg

Home Guards will be divided into two categories, those who will be available immediately on mustering and those who by reason of the importance of their civil duties will not. The latter will be required either to report within 48 hours for duty or to remain at work as long as possible, and in deciding this, full account will be taken of each man's individual position and the views of employers. Most vital factories are now working on a shift basis and for emergency the approved method of defence is to integrate the working shift and the shift on Home Guard duty by mutual arrangement, so as to produce a continuous defence service. As regards the second part of the Question, it is not the policy of His Majesty's Government to arm civilians. The arrangements I have just outlined should enable full use to be made of the fighting material available among factory workers within the framework of the Home Guard. Those factory workers who have time to spare from their vital work are encouraged to undertake military training and duty in the Home Guard. I am sure the House will agree that this is the best way to give factories local security with least disturbance of their vital productive activities.

Mr. Thorne

asked the Secretary of State for War whether the Home Guard and the Army wil be considered as one organisation with one commander; and whether there has been any consultation with the officer commanding-in-chief the South-Eastern Command about the matter?

Captain Margesson

The Home Guard is part of the Armed Forces of the Crown and is like the Regular Army under the command of the general officer commanding-in-chief the Command concerned, who is in turn under the command of the Commander-in-Chief, Home Forces. The South-Eastern Command is in exactly the same position in this respect as other commands.