§ 137. Mr. Wyattasked the Secretary of State for War what objections there now are to making L.I.A.P. automatic after a fixed number of months' service overseas.
§ Mr. BellengerTwo serious objections are the fact that the manpower situation imposes a limit on the number of officers and men who can be absent from a particular command at any one time and the fact that the amount of shipping available would not permit the present monthly quotas to be exceeded.
§ Mr. Wyattasked the Secretary of State for War whether L.I.A.P. is granted in India on an age and service basis or on the length of time that a man has served overseas.
§ Mr. BellengerL.I.A.P. vacancies from India are allotted on a "points" system or by ballot between men with equal points. Points are allotted for each month served abroad, for service in operational areas, for compassionate reasons, for service under adverse climatic conditions and for health reasons. To be eligible for L.I.A.P., personnel in India must be able to serve for a further period of six months on return from leave, before they become due for release or Python. For this reason certain age and service groups are excluded from L.I.A.P. and at present those in age and service groups up to 55 are not eligible.