§ Mr. Dodds-Parkerasked the Secretary of State for War if it is proposed that suitable candidates amongst those conscripted should be offered an opportunity to take commissions in the T.A.; if a proportion of vacancies will be assured to them; and if it is proposed to reestablish the supplementary reserve of officers and the T.A. Reserve of Officers.
§ Mr. BellengerNational service men will be given opportunity to obtain a 149W commission during their service with the active Army. At the end of this service they may be granted a commission in the Territorial Army; at present this is, of course, only if they volunteer; after the new Act comes into force they will be able to perform their obligatory reserve service as officers. There is no need to guarantee them a proportion of vacancies because they will provide the source of junior officers for the T.A. The change in circumstances since before the war, as a result of the National Service Act makes it unlikely that the supplementary Reserve of Officers will be reconstituted in its prewar form as a means of providing young officers for the Regular Army on mobilisation. It is, however, intended to re-establish the Supplementary Reserve, and arrangements to this end are already in hand. The Territorial Army Reserve of Officers continues to exist as before the War, but pending full consideration of the future of the various reserves no fresh appointments are being made to it, except that officers may be transferred to it from the active list of the T.A.