§ Sir E. Graham-Littleasked the Secretary of State for War whether he is aware that, owing to change of conditions of service, officers who joined the R.A.M.C. in January, 1946, are due for demobilisation earlier than officers who enlisted during the latter part of 1945; that this is causing dissatisfaction among the latter officers, as an example submitted shows; and whether he will take steps to rectify the position.
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§ Mr. BellengerTo increase the intake of specialists to the three Services, and thereby make possible the more rapid release of those already serving, a number of specialists over 30 years of age were called up under special conditions in the early part of 1946 and granted short service emergency commissions for 18 months. Unfortunately, it became evident that the numbers recruited under these conditions would be insufficient to permit of the acceleration in the release of those serving to the desired extent, and that the anomaly mentioned in the Question would also result. These special conditions of entry were, therefore, discontinued in November last. Everything possible is being done to accelerate the release of specialists called up before the scheme was introduced, but I regret there is no way of avoiding the anomaly in some cases.