HC Deb 12 October 1943 vol 392 cc728-9W
Sir J. Wardlaw-Milne

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he can provide extra coupons for members of the girls' pre-service training units or a coupon-free issue of uniform, as these services are doing valuable work in training young people and were set up at the direct instigation of the Government?

Commander Locker-Lampson

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether, in order to expand the work being done by the National Association of Girls' Training Corps and associate bodies, he will consider the need of an issue of uniform under agreed conditions to the officers and cadets of the girls pre-service training units, as the work of the Association contributes to both morale and efficiency and the lack of uniform impedes seriously the expansion of the service?

Mr. Bartlett

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether, in order to remove the discrimination between the National Association of Training Corps for Girls and other youth organisations such as the Air Training Corps and the Sea Cadet Corps, he will arrange either for a free issue of uniform or for an extra allowance of clothing coupons to officers and cadets of the N.A.T.C.G.?

Mr. W. Brown

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will take steps to see that uniforms are supplied free to girls joining the Girls' Pre-Service Training Corps, as is the case with boys?

Mr. Liddall

asked the President of the Board of Trade, in view of the fact that an organisation of some 100,000 cadets and 80,000 officers has been built up in the past two years, if he will give further consideration to the issue of uniform, under agreed conditions, to officers and cadets of the girls' pre-service training units?

Major Petherick

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will consider allowing uniforms to be obtained for the G.T.C. on proper certification without coupons?

Mr. Stunmers

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware of the detrimental effect on recruiting to the G.T.C. of the present policy of requiring coupons to be surrendered when purchasing uniforms and the hardship involved thereby; and whether he will reconsider the present position with particular reference to the unfavourable comparison now existing between the G.T.C. and other training units in this respect?

Mr. Dalton

I have considered very carefully the representations made to me regarding the Girls' Training Corps, but, as I have explained in reply to previous Questions, I regret that I cannot see my way, in view of the shortage of civilian clothing supplies, to grant extra coupons for uniforms for members of this Corps. In this respect the Girls' Training Corps are in the same position as Boy Scouts, Girl Guides and other voluntary youth organisations, who have to provide their uniform out of their normal ration, together with the supplementary allowances made to all under 18 years of age. The uniforms for the boys' Cadet Corps are issued by the Service Departments, which sponsor them, and do not come out of civilian supplies. The question of financial assistance for the provision of uniforms is one for my right hon. Friend, the President of the Board of Education.