Oral Answers to Questions — British Army – in the House of Commons at 12:00 am on 5 August 1947.
Sir Henry Legge-Bourke
, Isle of Ely
12:00,
5 August 1947
asked the Secretary of State for War whether it is intended to fix any target number or percentage of recruits to be obtained from the Civil Service for the T.A.
Mr Frederick Bellenger
, Bassetlaw
No, Sir. It is not proposed to fix a target or quota for any particular profession or occupation. Every encouragement will be given to civil servants to join the Territorial Army, subject to the need to ensure the retention of sufficient trained officials to maintain essential services in war-time.
Sir Henry Legge-Bourke
, Isle of Ely
asked the Secretary of State for War what proportion of the total number of the 20,000 recruits for the T.A. up to the end of June were obtained from the Civil Service.
Mr Frederick Bellenger
, Bassetlaw
I regret that this information is not readily available.
Sir Henry Legge-Bourke
, Isle of Ely
In view of this answer and the right hon. Gentleman's answer to the previous Question, will he bear in mind that many organisations are having considerable difficulty in getting under way after the war, and will he, therefore, do everything he can to encourage civil servants to join the Territorial Army, as every extra man from the Civil Service will ease the situation very considerably?
Mr Frederick Bellenger
, Bassetlaw
Certainly, but within the limits of the answer I gave to the hon. and gallant Gentleman's first Question.
Secretary of State was originally the title given to the two officials who conducted the Royal Correspondence under Elizabeth I. Now it is the title held by some of the more important Government Ministers, for example the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs.
