§ Major Digbyasked the Secretary of State for War whether he is aware that officers and other ranks who served in the T.A. receive no credit in calculating their release group for pre-war service, which was a heavy charge on their time before the war; and whether he will arrange that none of these men are retained after the bulk of their group and therefore after men of their own age whodid not join the Army until after the outbreak of war or, alternatively, that adequate compensation is given.
§ Mr. LawsonI am aware that pre-war Territorials cannot count service before the war for the purpose of release and, as I stated on 9th October, in reply to 365W a Question by the hon. and gallant Member for Kingston-upon-Thames (Major Boyd-Carpenter), I am unable to see any adequate ground for an alteration to the present rules in that connection. I am afraid that it would be impracticable to adoptthe suggestion in the second part of the Question. It may be necessary, and it is permissible, to retain any individual soldier for essential military purposes, and there could be no justification for the exceptional treatment of Territorials.
§ Colonel Stoddart-Scottasked the Secretary of State for War how many individuals have left S.E.A.C. under Group B demobilisation.
§ Mr. LawsonI regret that the figures asked for are not available.