§ Mr. JOHN WARDasked the Undersecretary of State for War whether, in view of the evidence of the Secretary of State for War before a Select Committee on the Employment of the Military in Case of Disturbance, issued by the War Office, 17th December, 1908, that the King's Regulations cannot repeal the common law; that he proposed to revise the King's Regulations to make it clear that they are in accordance with the common law; and that there is no statutory authority that he knew of anywhere to alter the common law by the King's Regulations and that he thought it should be made perfectly clear that the two do remain consistent, he will say why that opinion is not made applicable to the Vaccination Act, 1907, in the case of the exempted children of His Majesty's soldiers?
§ Colonel SEELYI assume that my hon. Friend is alluding to the regulations regarding the vaccination of the families of soldiers residing in barracks. Such residence is a privilege, and in order to obtain the privilege the families must conform with the regulations which the Army medical authorities consider necessary for the protection of the troops from infection. With regard to the last part of my hon. Friend's question, there does not appear to be any infringement of the common law by the regulation in question.
§ Mr. JOHN WARDDoes the right hon. Gentleman admit that there was any infringement of the Statute?
§ Colonel SEELYNo, I do not admit any infringement of any law.