§ 91. Brigadier Petoasked the Secretary of State for War whether he is aware that all enthusiasm for military service disappears if the young entry are kept waiting several months at training regiments in Catterick after passing the War Office Selection Board and before passing on; and whether he will state the reasons for the present hold-up and will take steps to accelerate the output.
§ Mr. HeadAt certain times of the year a potential officer at these and other training regiments may have to wait for a vacancy at an officer cadet school, but I do not think that this delay has the far reaching effects suggested by my hon. and gallant Friend. These delays occur because most of the boys who become officers leave school at the end of the summer term and consequently the demand for vacancies at officer cadet schools fluctuates throughout the year. The demand is greatest between November and March, when a potential officer may have to wait at most two months for a vacancy. In the other months there is usually no waiting period. It would only be possible to eliminate all delays by extravagant increases in these schools.