§ 113. Mr. S. Marshallasked the Minister of Labour whether he will consider the possibility of making it a condition of deferment or exemption from military service that such people who receive exemption or deferment should serve a period of training in one of the Civil Defence sections.
§ Mr. IsaacsNo. Apprentices and students, who constitute the great majority of young men granted deferment, will in due course perform their full period of National Service and I can see no grounds for putting this additional obligation on them. Nor would this serve any useful purpose as in an emergency they would not be available for Civil Defence but would be required in the Forces. As regards men employed in coalmining and agriculture, the enforcement of such an obligation might be difficult but I am giving further consideration to this.