§ 52. Colonel Ropnerasked the Minister of Agriculture how many Class B releases for agricultural personnel have been sponsored by his Department to date; and to what extent his treatment of such applications has been modified in recent months owing to the shortage of agricultural labour.
§ Mr. T. Williams:Up to 11th April, 1,094 recommendations for Class B release for former agriculturists as individual specialists have been sponsored by my Department. Release has been approved in 1,016 cases, 36 recommendations have been rejected, and in the remaining 42 cases no decision has yet been reached. As my right hon. Friend the Minister of Labour has made clear in reply to previous Questions release. 370W under the Class B block arrangements is being offered by the Service Departments to all former agriculturists who are releasable and who have served for at least one year in the Forces. Returns of releases under this scheme by 31st March, which are not quite complete, total over 9,800 Everything practicable is being done by my Department and the other Departments concerned to secure the early release of all eligible agricultural workers.