§ Mr. Bottomleyasked the Secretary of State for War whether he will extend the period of twenty-eight days, which is the maximum at present permitted, for officers due for retirement owing to redundancy to attend courses of up to three months at colleges of further education so that they may be adequately fitted for careers in civil life.
§ Mr. SoamesNo. Officers and soldiers who are due to retire from the Army because of redundancy are given leave to attend a pre-release training course lasting twenty-eight days. This period is available to them whether they seek independent training or use the special facilities offered by the Army and the Ministry of Labour and National Service. If they decide to undertake longer training the extra time must be found from their terminal leave or after their return to civilian life, and the special capital payments made to soldiers retired prematurely take account of their need to train themselves for further employment.