National Service.

Part of the debate – in the House of Commons at on 20 December 1938.

Alert me about debates like this

Photo of Sir John Anderson Sir John Anderson , Combined Scottish Universities

I will tell my Noble Friend exactly what I meant. I meant that a complete National Register would be necessary. I indicated on the previous occasion that in my opinion the best time at which to compile such a register would be shortly after the outbreak of the war, when the conditions could be measured with some degree of precision. I see no alternative. If a complete register were prepared to-morrow it would have to be revised after the outbreak of war in order to secure a record of the actual distribution of man-power.

I should like to say something about the wording of the Motion which the Government have submitted to the House. The Motion has been criticised, in particular the second part of the Motion has been criticised, and I should like to explain exactly why the Motion was submitted in this form, which differs from the form of the Motion that was submitted on the previous occasion. The point was put to His Majesty's Government from various quarters that it was perhaps not quite fair to invite the House to pass a Motion which could be held to commit Members to the support of the plans of the Government in all their details.