§ Sir E. Graham-Littleasked the Secretary of State for War if he is aware that doctors in the forces overseas are suffering, as an example submitted shows, from uncertainty with regard to their release, occasioned by the issue at the end of 1945 of a Government statement reducing the ratio of doctors to two per thousand, which was contradicted by a later Army circular fixing the ratio at 2.75 per thousand; and if he will now inform the officers concerned of the actual position.
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§ Mr. BellengerThe ratio of two doctors per thousand troops was agreed under the conditions existing at the end of 1945 to enable the maximum number of doctors to be returned to civilian practice for the winter months. By that measure the Army alone was able to release 5,600 doctors by the end of February. Present estimates, based on an overall cover of 2.75 per thousand British troops, provide also for medical commitments other than those that can be considered a purely military responsibility and for military families overseas. The release programme for medical officers must depend upon the strengths and deployment of our Forces generally and the dates for release of the various age and service groups are announced as soon as possible. The release of doctors is thus inevitably linked with the release programme for the Army as a whole, and whatever the percentage of doctors per thousand may be, there must necessarily be some uncertainty for individuals until a definite programme has been announced. But there is no more cause for uncertainty in the minds of doctors than in the minds of any other members of the Forces.