§ 12. Mr. RICHARD LAMBERTasked how many names included in the blue cards for the purpose of the Derby canvass were those of men who had already been 1580 rejected for military service or who had been discharged from the Army on account of wounds or ill-health?
§ Mr. TENNANTNo, Sir, I am afraid it is not in my power to give this information, which does not, I am informed, exist. If such men presented themselves for attestation they would be included in the number medically rejected.
§ 17. Mr. WHITEHOUSEasked the Under-Secretary of State for War how many single men of military age were not in fact reached by the canvass under the Derby scheme?
§ Mr. TENNANTI would refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Huddersfield on the 10th January.
§ Mr. WHITEHOUSEWill the right hon. Gentleman say whether the reply he refers me to gave the information I ask for?
§ Mr. TENNANTNo, Sir.
§ Mr. SHERWELLIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that, as a matter of fact, this information was collected in every one of the recruiting areas, and is in possession of the War Office?
§ Mr. TENNANTI am informed by my Noble Friend that it is quite impossible to give this information. The only conceivable way would be to get it through the Parliamentary recruiting committees.
§ Mr. SHERWELLHe has got it?
§ Mr. TENNANTThose figures, I am informed by my Noble Friend, would not be really reliable.
§ 18. Mr. PRINGLEasked the Under- Secretary of State for War whether he will give the number of young unmarried men who, after every just exception has been allowed for, are not required for other purposes, but without excuse, are holding back from the service of their country?
§ Mr. TENNANTThe number given in Lord Derby's Report is 650,651, but the number asked for in the question cannot be given until the unattested have attested and claims have been considered.
§ 27. Sir ALFRED MONDasked the Under-Secretary of State for War whether he can state what is the total number of men of military age who were canvassed under the Derby scheme, the total number obtained, and the number of single men who declined to promise to attest?
§ Mr. TENNANTNo figures exist in the War Office which provide the information for which my right hon. Friend asks.
§ Sir A. MONDCan the right hon. Gentleman say whether the figures exist in any other Department?
§ Mr. TENNANTI am afraid I should have to make very wide inquiries before I could ascertain.
§ 28. Sir A. MONDasked the Under-Secretary of State for War what has been the number of men who have attested during the months of March, April, May, June, July, August, and September of last year.
§ Mr. TENNANTIt is not considered desirable in the public interest to give these figures.
§ 32. Mr. SHERWELLasked if the total number of males of military age given in Lord Derby's Report exclude young men who at the time when the National Register was made were under eighteen but who are now above that age?
§ Mr. TENNANTYes, Sir, they are excluded.
§ Mr. SHERWELLAm I to understand from that that, although these young men will be of military age, they will be exempted from military service under the provisions of the Bill now before the House?
§ Mr. TENNANTI think the answer is in the affirmative. It is a legal point which had better be put to the legal advisers.
§ 55. Mr. ALBION RICHARDSONasked the Prime Minister whether his attention has been called to the official publication entitled "Notes on the Administration of the Group System," issued by the Director General of Recruiting with the approval of the War Office, wherein it is stated that a man's age is reckoned from the present, not from the past, and that therefore a man who was forty-one yesterday is not liable to be called up to-day; whether he is aware that a great number of men over forty have attested in reliance upon this official pledge and in the belief that it would be fulfilled, and that many others, who had attained the age of forty-one before the group scheme opened, were treated as ineligible for attestation, and have acted and in many cases have altered their positions upon the faith of this official assurance that they were not and 1582 could not become liable for service; and whether, in view of the fact that the inclusion in the present Bill of these men who were expressly excluded by Lord Derby from liability to service is unnecessary in order to redeem the Prime Minister's pledge, the Government intend to abide by the official assurance given to such men by Lord Derby, or whether the Government intend by the present Bill to repudiate such assurance?
§ The PRIME MINISTER (Mr. Asquith)This is a question which can best he discussed in the Committee stage of the Bill.