Mr. Leslie Haleasked the Minister of Defence whether he is aware of the hardship which is caused to conscripted men who are accepted for entry at training and other colleges on dates shortly before the completion of their military service; and whether he is prepared to consider remissions of service for short periods in cases which show evidence of hardship.
§ Mr. ShinwellIn general, young men who wish to go to college after leaving school have the option of applying to the Minister of Labour for: (a) a deferment of their call-up to enable them to attend college before doing their National Service; or (b) an early call-up to enable them to fit in their National Service before the date when their college course starts.
Men proposing to enter training colleges in England and Wales, however, can only be accepted after they have done their National Service and, therefore, are not eligible for deferment. These arrangements have been explained to all educational authorities and headmasters. If, despite these arrangements, cases of exceptional hardship occur which cannot be met in any other way, and application is made for premature release, the Services