§ Lieut.-Colonel Byersasked the Secretary of State for War (1) whether he will take special measures to ensure coordination between the Service Departments and the Ministry of Labour, in order to ensure that men and women whose release from the Forces under Class B has been applied for, are not dispatched overseas while their cases are being investigated;
(2) in view of the number of schoolteachers being dispatched overseas after their Class B releases have been applied for, whether he will take special measures to ensure co-ordination of the Service De- 197W partments, the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Labour, to ensure that such people do not leave the country pending a decision on their release.
§ Mr. LawsonI am afraid it would be impossible to do as the hon. and gallant Member suggests. It does not by any means follow that an application will be supported by the Civil Department concerned, or will fall within the quota allotted, and no action can be taken by the Service Departments until the approved names are notified by the Ministry of Labour and National Service. At that stage, every effort is made to ensure that individuals to be released are not sent overseas. It will, of course, be appreciated that, in some cases, the release asked for cannot be granted for Service reasons.