Mr. Quintin Hoģģ:

asked the Secretary of State for War what is the average number of letters to his Department at present being received per month from Members of Parliament and from the public respectively.

Sir J. Griģģ:

The averages over the last six months are roughly 2,700 and 55,000 respectively.

Does my right hon. Friend realise that although some of us are not always satisfied with the contents of the replies, we do appreciate the care and the devoted labour expended on those replies?

Are not the overwhelming majority of letters about compassionate cases, which give a great deal of concern to all Members of this House, and can the right hon. Gentleman give some ruling on these compassionate cases which would give satisfaction?

Sir J. Griģģ:

I have given rulings and announced them to this House at great length. As regards the quantitative part of the question, I think the answer is probably that something like one-third to a half of the cases are of compassionate posting, release or discharge.

Would it not be of assistance to my right hon. Friend in dealing with the vast mass of correspondence, if those sponsoring the case ensured that the normal machinery of the Army Welfare Service was utilised?

Sir J. Griģģ:

I quite agree. I have come across case after case in which the matter could have been more expeditiously handled through the ordinary machinery of the commanding officer.

When is the right hon. Gentleman joining the Young Tory group?

Mr. Hoģģ:

He has to become a Young Tory first.