asked the Minister of Labour whether he will consider the claims of ex-service men who, on being demobilised, endeavoured to start in life without applying for a State training grant, but who, having failed, now desire to obtain some professional instruction, but find that, not having applied for the grant within a certain number of months, they are debarred from receiving any assistance from the State, though had they at once on being demobilised applied for a grant before trying to start life without it they would have been entitled to receive the same?

With the permission of my hon. Friend, I will have the answer to this question printed in the OFFICIAL REPORT.

The following is the answer referred to:

To meet the claims of ex-service men of the category referred to by my hon. Friend, the following facilities remain available:

Until the 30th April, 1921, ex-service officers and men of similar educational qualifications may apply for assistance under the Business Training Scheme recently announced in this House. In initiating this scheme I had in view the relief of the type of case referred to by my hon. Friend. Under Article 7 of the Royal Warrant, any ex-officer who had not received State assistance, but finds his normal occupation debarred him owing to War disability, may receive professional or agricultural training under the appropriate Government Department, not exceeding one year. There is no time limit for applications under the Industrial Training Scheme, the scope of which is well known. During the life of the Maintenance and Training Grants Scheme, special concessions were afforded to ex-service men of the category referred to, and where, in view of the changed circumstances, such men found it necessary to apply for State aid after the failure of their personal endeavours, the regulations as to time limit for application were relaxed in their favour. This scheme, however, having accomplished its object, is now virtually at an end. The Military Service (Civil Liabilities) Department is authorised to consider applications from ex-service men for grants to resettle them in civil life, notwithstanding that the period of 12 months from discharge or demobilisation has elapsed, this time limit having been extended to meet the type of case in question, and this extension remains in force until 31st December, 1920, up to which date applications for assistance will be sympathetically considered and dealt with by this Department.