§ Major ADAMasked the Secretary of State for War whether the privileges of medical and surgical treatment given to men employed in the Royal Arsenal at Woolwich had been curtailed; and, if so, whether he could see his way to have medical and surgical attendance reestablished on a broader basis?
§ The SECRETARY of STATE for WAR (Mr. Haldane)The privileges of the men employed in the Royal Arsenal as regards medical and surgical treatment have not been curtailed, but it has been found necessary to restrict the Government hospital at the Royal Arsenal to accidents for which it was established, and not allow it to become a general hospital.
§ Major ADAMasked whether he could say on what date the discharges of lads at the age of 21 from the Royal Arsenal, Woolwich, would cease; and whether, seeing that these lads had never been warned of this termination of engagement at 21 years of age, he could see his way to mitigate this hardship?
§ Mr. HALDANEAt the age of twenty-one lads employed in the Royal Arsenal officially become men, and are then, if retained, entitled to the minimum rate of 23s. a week. As long as it is necessary to absorb all vacancies due to wastage, there are no vacancies for boys reaching the age of twenty-one to be entered as men. No date can at present be assigned for absorption of wastage to cease. The lads are well aware of their liability to discharge at the age of twenty-one.