§ Major Legge-Bourkeasked the Secretary of State for War whether he will review the system whereby a man has to serve three years and four months in the East before repatriation, in view of the fact that the overriding factor preventing speedy repatriation during the war was that nothing must be done to weaken our effort in the fighting theatres and that this factor no longer operates.
§ Mr. LawsonThe period of the overseas tour in the various Commands is kept under review, but at present I cannot add anything to the reply I gave on 9th October to a Question by the hon. and gallant Member for North Blackpool (Brigadier Low) except to say that I hope the arrears of repatriation in the Far East, on the basis of the present qualifying period of three years 4 months, will have been worked off by the end of this year.