§ Captain Swinglerasked the Secretary of State for war whether he is aware that men in age and service Group 26, who have completed more than four years' overseas service and been repatriated under the Python scheme, are being 2048W warned for further overseas service; and whether he has any statement to make.
§ Mr. LawsonThe. home establishment of the Army provides very few vacancies for repatriated soldiers and in order not to interfere with the return home of others it is often necessary to repost soldiers to North-West Europe, within a comparatively short period of their repatriation. The minimum period in this country is six weeks. The age and service groups liable for overseas posting vary from time to time, as I explained on 16th October in reply to a Question by my hon. and gallant Friend the Member of Aston (Major Wyatt). At present men in Group 26 or later are eligible for posting to B.A.O.R. I much regret the need for reposting men with long overseas service but in the present situation it cannot be avoided.