MAJOR SEELY (Isle of Wight)I beg to ask the Secretary for War a Question of which I have given private notice, viz., whether his attention has been called to a statement made to-day in the Press that certain Volunteer units have refused to be medically examined as to their fitness for foreign service in compliance with the terms of the recent circular on the grounds of its illegality; and what steps, if any, the right hon. Gentleman proposes to take in the matter.
§ THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR WAR (Mr. ARNOLD-FORSTER, Belfast, W.)I have only this moment received the hon. Gentleman's Question. I have had no report of the incident referred to. So far as I am aware no question of the legality of the order can arise; but if it is illegal it cannot be enforced. I would remind the hon. Gentleman that the date for making the report is October 31st, and I have no doubt that the commanding officers will do their best to conform to the order, and will supply the Army Council with information which is necessary in the interest of national defence.
MAJOR SEELYWill the right hon. Gentleman say what he proposes to do in the event of certain Volunteer units refusing to comply with the order?
§ * MR. SPEAKEROrder, order! That is clearly a hypothetical Question.
§ * MR. SPEAKERThat remark was hardly courteous to the Chair.
MAJOR SEELYI rite to a point of order. I desire to explain that I intended no discourtesy to the Chair, and to apologise. What I wanted to point out to the Secretary of State for War was that this incident was reported in to-day's Standard and has in fact occurred.
§ * MR. SPEAKERI accept the hon. Gentleman's explanation, but I would point out that his Question was as to what the right hon. Gentleman intended to do in the event of certain things occurring, and that, I ruled, was a purely hypothetical Question.