Joseph Leon Deslieres, Esquire, member for the electoral district of Brome-Missisquoi, introduced by Right Hon. L. S. St. Laurent and Hon. Alcide Cote. N. C. Schneider, Esquire, member for the electoral district of Waterloo North, introduced by Right Hon. L. S. St. Laurent and Hon. W. E. Harris. Gage Workman Montgomery, Esquire, member for the electoral district of Victoria-Carleton, introduced by Mr. George A. Drew and Mr. A. J. Brooks. Albany M. Robichaud, Esquire, member for the electoral district of Gloucester, introduced by Mr. George A. Drew and Mr. A. J. Brooks. Michael Starr, Esquire, member for the electoral district of Ontario, introduced by Mr. George A. Drew and Mr. Gordon Graydon. Paul Henri Spence, Esquire, member for the electoral district of Roberval, introduced by Mr. George A. Drew and Mr. Leon Balcer.

Sixth report of standing committee on banking and commerce.-Mr. Cleaver.

Hon. Brooke Claxlon (Minister of National Defence): With your permission, Mr. Speaker, I should like to make a statement on the training of officers: The expanded defence program has created an urgent requirement for a steady flow of officers for all three services. The number of officers in the active forces has increased from over 7,000 to over 13,500 since the aggression in Korea. The present arrangements for training officers at R.M.C. and Royal Roads and in the universities are satisfactory in themselves. But there will be a continuing need for larger numbers of officers than the existing arrangements will provide. To meet this need it is proposed to supplement the present four-year course at R.M.C. and the universities for candidates for commissions which require technical qualifications with a two-year course at R.M.C., Royal Roads and the universities for candidates for commissions which do not require technical qualifications. Candidates having the required qualifications who engage to serve in the forces for three years after being qualified for a commission will be enrolled in the armed forces as cadets and will be offered assisted education in the same way as men being promoted from the ranks and as is done in officer training establishments in other countries. Students attending the universities under these arrangements will be members of the university naval training divisions, the Canadian officers' training corps or the reserve university flights and will have full-time training each summer. Cadets now at the services colleges or already participating in the university training plans who have the necessary qualifications may, on the same conditions, that is, that they engage to serve for at least three years, take advantage of this opportunity and at the end of the second year of summer work take a commission requiring non-technical qualifications or receive assistance for a commission requiring technical qualifications. Entrance requirements will continue to be senior matriculation or the equivalent. These arrangements will be in effect at the universities and colleges having suitable courses and university training plans. Thirty-two universities and colleges have one or more of such plans in effect today. These arrangements have been under discussion with representatives of the universities for some time and were finally considered this week with a representative group of presidents and other members of universities in Quebec during the conference of Canadian universities. I am glad to say that without exception they offered their wholehearted co-operation.

Armed Forces-Training of Officers I have also to announce that a new service cadet college is to be established at St. Johns, in the province of Quebec, twenty-five miles from Montreal. At the outset the college will give a one-year course for students who have the equivalent of a junior matriculation. The new college is primarily designed to meet the special circumstances of French-speaking candidates, but will be open to students from all over Canada. If the numbers available justify it, the course will be extended to second and third year. The position of this college will be under constant review to ensure that it meets the situation. Cadets completing the course at this college will go to the universities or R.M.C. as appropriate. The new college will, it is expected, have very close relations with Laval university and the university of Montreal as the authorities of both universities have generously offered to co-operate in every way possible. The new college will be on precisely the same footing as R.M.C. and Royal Roads, with the same uniform and conditions of service. Cadets at all three services colleges who engage to serve three years after qualifying for a commission will actually be members of the armed forces with expenses paid. Others may enter all three colleges on the same terms as heretofore. The new features in the proposed arrangements are: acceptance of two-year qualifications for non-technical branches; assistance for candidates who engage to serve at least three years in the regular forces; and the inauguration of a new services college at St. Johns, Quebec.