§ VISCOUNT TURNOUR (Sussex, Horsham)On behalf of the hon. Member for Hoxton, I beg to ask the Secretary of State for War whether he has 1379 made any inquiry and can give any computation of the number of women and children dependent for their food upon the 1,952 men of good service, extending from one to fifty-two years, discharged from the Ordnance Factory at Woolwich from 1st June, 1906, to 1st June, 1907; and, if not, will he make such inquiry and communicate the result to the House.
§ MR. HALDANEIn selecting men for discharge, regard is paid to all the circumstances of each man including any points concerning his family he may put forward, but no record has been kept of the number of women and children dependent on those discharged. I am not prepared to order the undertaking of such an inquiry; in many cases the information could not be obtained, and I am inclined to think that some would resent the investigation as inquisitorial.
§ VISCOUNT TURNOURasked if records were kept of the circumstances in each individual case.
§ MR. HALDANENo, Sir.
§ MAJOR ANSTRUTHER -GRAYWhen are the discharges to cease?
§ MR. HALDANEI inquired this morning, and am glad to say that they are approaching a termination.
§ MR. CROOKS (Woolwich)We have been approaching the termination for five years. Is it not the fact that the last Government sacked or discharged 6,000 men and they said they were approaching the end of the dismissals? You have been forced to discharge many more, and surety the right hon. Gentleman can say when the minimum will be reached.
§ MR. HALDANEThe reason why I cannot say accurately is that the calculation of the minimum is a difficult and intricate matter, but it is very nearly determined now.
§ MR. MADDISON (Burnley)How many men have been discharged at Newcastle and Sheffield owing to the reduction in the demand for munitions of war?
§ MR. HALDANEI cannot say.
§ MR. KING (Cheshire, Knutsford)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for War if he can say how many men were discharged from Woolwich Arsenal during the period between the end of the war in South Africa and December, 1905; and how many have been discharged since that date.
§ MR. HALDANEThe number of men discharged at the Ordnance Factories in Woolwich Arsenal between 1st June, 1902, and 30th November, 1905, was 4,567, and between 1st December, 1905, and 22nd I June, 1907, was 2,473. These numbers do not include men discharged for other reasons.
§ SIR J. RANDLES (Cumberland, Cockermouth)asked if the same type of men were being discharged by this Government as by the last. Was not the policy of the last Government only to discharge recent comers?
§ MR. HALDANEWhen you are performing this painful duty you naturally discharge the men who have been with you the shortest time, but as time goes on the short-service men become exhausted and you have to deal with those of longer service.