§ 34. Commander Courtneyasked the Secretary of State for War whether, in view of the specialised knowledge of high voltage techniques possessed by 2nd Lieutenant R. M. Bentley, of the 3rd Training Battalion, Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers, the urgent representations made by the chairman of Doulton Industrial Porcelain Limited, and the value of this National Service officer to development work connected with the export trade, he is now prepared to release him from national service at the earliest possible date.
§ Mr. ProfumoNo. Many applications are made for the premature release of National Service officers in order that they can return to their previous civilian employment, and it is quite impossible to spare them all. It has been the policy of successive Governments only to give early release to a National Service officer when his retention in the Service would cause undue hardship either to himself or to his dependants.