§ Mr. Garry Allighanasked the Minister of Labour if he will explain the discrepancy between the promised release of 1,785,200 men in Army Groups 16 to 31 and the fact that those groups only contain 1,593,369 men; and whether the groups have been enlarged since 11th October when their totals were officially announced.
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§ Mr. IsaacsThe actual numbers in Army age and Service groups 16–31 in mid-June, 1945, as officially announced on 11th October, 1945, were 1,647,224 and not 1,593,369as stated in the Question There is a difference of 137,976 between the figure of 1,785,200—the estimated releases from the Army between 1st October, 1945, and 30th June, 1946—and the above figure of 1,647,224. This difference is explained by the inclusion in the estimated releases of some 38,800 ex-Prisoners of War returning from the Far East and some 9,900 British officers of the Indian Army, neither of which classes was borne on the effective strength of the British Army. It is also estimated that 24,000 will be released in Class B from age and Service groups later than 31, and that 65,200 also of groups later than 31 will leave the Army for various reasons, e.g. compassionate releases and discharges on medical or other grounds.