I rather thought that the complaint was that he was not being released before his turn. His turn is decided by his age and his service. That, surely, has been the generally accepted principle. I will agree readily that because this line is drawn tightly it has an unfortunate effect upon some students. I have had applications from hon. Members on both sides of the House asking for the release of men who, were they either a month younger or had they joined two days earlier, would have been in Group 62. But they are in Group 63 and no matter where we draw the line there is that difficulty.

If there was room in the universities for these men and their release would not prejudice the opportunities of men who had already been released under Class A, there would be no case for resisting the suggestion put forward by the hon. and gallant Gentleman. I assure him, however, that the best advice we have been able to get is that if we extend these groups any further we shall be creating the anomolous situation where a Class A man is kept out by a Class B man. Unfortunately, I cannot give an assurance even now that every scholarship holder and every highly promising student in Groups 1 to 62 can have a place in the universities this year. Unless I could give that assurance it would be wrong for me to say that a man in Group 63 should have a chance over a man in Group 62. I feel very sympathetic towards this problem. Someone very close to me was affected in exactly the same way. I have seen the human side of this problem.

I assure the House that we are doing what we think is right and fair by all the students concerned and by all those men who have played their part in the Services. We hope that this situation will clear up in 1948 and 1949. When the National Service Bill comes into operation in 1949 we hope that the places will be there so that the interests of the students will rank with, it not supersede, the interests of the State in regard to military service. With this assurance, I hope the House will accept the view the Government are doing all that can be done and all that can be expected.