Might I ask your permission to make a correction or amplification of a reply I gave yesterday in answer to a supplementary?
Desertions from Army—Statement by Minister.
Yes. The Minister has given me notice of his desire to do so.
In the course of a number of supplementaries with regard to the Army, one supplementary question suggested that the increased rates of pay in the British Army might induce a number of our soldiers to desert in order to join the British Army. At a subsequent stage in the supplementaries a Deputy interjected a supplementary to inquire the total number of desertions. My reply was "Three". That figure of three was in relation to the first query, as to those where we had knowledge that they deserted for the purpose of joining the British Army. It did not represent the total number of desertions, which was, naturally, higher. I would respectfully suggest to Deputies that it would not be in the public interest to publicise desertions from time to time, but if any Deputy, at any time, either for his own information or for the information of his colleagues, requires such information, I would be very happy to give it, or, if any Deputy thinks it is in the public interest to have the question answered in public, naturally, I would answer it in public.
I might say that I was completely astonished at the Minister's reply yesterday, and I did intend to put down a question asking for the figures, because I understood that the Minister was making a mistake in the reply he gave. I am glad the matter has been cleared up.
When I saw it in its context in the papers to-day I wished to make the correction.