CAB129-33 — Page 420

Page 420

3. Release in appreciable numbers of men called up in 1947 and 1948 has only recently begun. It is now evident that, in spite of the publicity given to it at the time by the Service Departments and Ministry of Labour, the decision to stop issuing demobilisation clothing was not appreciated by many of those affected until they were released, when it became the object of widespread resentment. Many letters have been addressed to the Service Ministers and to myself from Members of Parliament and the public. I have also had to answer a number of Parliamentary Questions and on February 28th the matter was the subject of an Adjournment Debate in which speakers of all parties opposed the present policy and urged for all National Servicemen on release either the continuation of free issues or a generous cash grant to cover the cost of civilian clothing purchases privately.

The case for the Present Policy

4. A clear distinction can be drawn between the

age and service" men and the 1947/48 entrants. The generous benefits of the "age and service" scheme were granted in recognition of long service in the war years; the problem of resettlement in civil life was difficult; the men concerned would certainly have had little chancé of finding any of their pre-war clothes still wearable; and clothing at the time was scarce. The 1947/48 entrants, on the other hand, were called up for fixed periods of peacetime service in no case longer than two years and three months and in general considerably less; and clothing is no longer difficult to find. A line can therefore be drawn between the two groups. The existence of an intermediate group (the men called up in 1946 but still under the war-time arrangements who served for periods not much longer than that now current and received the full "age and service" benefits) does not obscure this distinction. It can also be argued that the National Service man is given release leave on full pay in proportion to his length of service; is no business of the Services to defray the normal expenses incurred by men after they have been released into civilian life and which would probably have been incurred whether they had been in the services or not. The Services, cannot therefore undertake financial liability for the refitting of these men on their return to civilian life.

•

The Case for a Concession

and that it

5. Critics of the Government's policy argue that in the course of his service the National Service man outgrows his civilian clothes; that he cannot afford to save during his service for the clothes he will need when he Page 42 Lo₤488; and that it is tPage420rof 488 duty of the Services to provide him with clothes. It is said

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