§ LORD OGMOREasked Her Majesty's Government whether, in view of the fact that they are calling up recently qualified veterinary surgeons in the United Kingdom for National Service in various arms other than the Royal Army Veterinary Corps, in which there are no vacancies, and in view of the shortage of qualified veterinary surgeons in British Colonial territories, they will, in the national interest, make the necessary arrangements to allow these veterinary surgeons who wish to do so to carry out their period of National Service by secondment from the Army as veterinary officers in one or other of the Colonial Territories.
THE JOINT PARLIAMENTARY UNDER-SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE HOME DEPARTMENT (LORD LLOYD)The special arrangements for suspending the call-up of veterinary graduates have been terminated this year because it is felt that they can no longer be justified. Graduates completing their studies this year will accordingly be called up, but they will all be offered the opportunity of service in the Royal Army Veterinary Corps. The numbers concerned this year will not, I understand, exceed 33. Since 1949 veterinary work in the Colonies has been recognised as justifying deferment under different arrangements and it is not proposed to withdraw this concession. Any veterinary graduates qualifying this year who are accepted by the Colonial Office for the Colonial Veterinary Service can therefore have their calling up deferred, so long as they continue in this employment.
House adjourned at five minutes past seven o'clock.