§ 98. Mr. Oliverasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty whether he is aware of the complaints by men whose period of 12 years' service has expired or is about to expire, at the decision to retain their services for an additional 18 months over their normal engagement; and whether, in view of their long service, further consideration will be given to this matter.
§ Mr. CallaghanOur proposed increase in naval strength can only be achieved by retaining trained men finishing their time and recalling trained Reservists. I know that this will cause some disappointment, but I am glad to say that the need for this measure has been generally understood in the Fleet. It is our intention to increase recruitment and speed up training, so that retentions and recalls will be brought to an end as early as possible.