§ 63. Sir R. NEWMANasked the Secretary of State for War whether in Army Council Instruction No. 287, the expression, extreme compassionate grounds, could be extended in order to include cases of men serving in His Majesty's forces whose wife, father, or mother is dying from an incurable complaint like cancer, and whose life, humanly speaking, cannot be prolonged many months?
Captain GUEST (Joint Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury)I would refer my hon. Friend to the answer given yesterday to my hon. and gallant Friend the Member for Finsbury (Lieut.-Colonel Archer-Shee). I regret I am unable to extend the scope of compassionate grounds. In such cases as those mentioned by my hon. Friend an application duly certified should be made to the commanding officer of the man's unit, who has power to grant a period of leave if he considers that it is a case of extreme urgency.
§ Lieut.-Colonel Lord H. CAVENDISH-BENTINCKIs the hon. and gallant Gentleman not aware that the present Regulations exclude cases of the very gravest hardship?
§ Lord H. CAVENDISH-BENTINCKThe very best is very poor then!