§ 27. Mr. CHARLES BATHURSTasked the Prime Minister if he is aware that a. large number of farmers are ready and anxious to facilitate the enlistment after harvest of the younger men in their employ if they could have the temporary services of boys between eleven and fourteen years of age to assist them in the necessary farm operations during the autumn and winter in order to secure the sowing of next year's wheat and other necessary farm crops; and whether, under the exceptional circumstances, the Government will suspend such provisions of the Education Acts, or will enable boys over eleven years of age in purely agricultural districts to furnish such assistance subject to the approval and supervision of the local education authority?
§ The PRIME MINISTERI will bear in mind the hon. Member's suggestion. It would appear that the matter is well within the discretion of the local authorities, who have already had their attention called to it by the Board of Education
§ Mr. BATHURSTAre we to understand that if the local authorities took such action they would not meet with the disapproval of the Board of Education?
§ The PRIME MINISTERYes, Sir.
§ 31. Mr. LEACHasked the Under-Secretary of State for War if it is intended to raise the maximum age at which healthy men may enlist in His Majesty's forces for the period covered by the present War?
§ The UNDER-SECRETARY of STATE for WAR (Mr. Tennant)Instructions are shortly being issued raising the age to forty-five for ex-Regulars, ex-Militiamen, ex-Special Reservists, and ex-Territorials, and also for National Reservists (Classes. 275 I. and II.) For men who have not served before the age limit will be thirty-five years.
§ Sir RYLAND ADKINSMay we understand from that answer that we can now have recruiting up to thirty-five years of age for men who have not served before?
§ Mr. TENNANTYes.
§ 33. Mr. JAMES HOPEhad given notice of the following question: To ask the Under-Secretary of State for War whether, in new of the fact that the age limit for re-enlistment of old soldiers in Great Britain is forty-two and in Ireland, in certain cases, forty-five, he will cause instructions to be given to recruiting officers in Great Britain to accept qualified recruits between forty-two and forty-five for service with Irish battalions, and see to their despatch to the proper Irish depots accordingly?
Mr. HOPEThis question is to some extent covered by the answer to question 31, but I am asking this to cover a special case.
§ Mr. TENNANTInstructions have already been issued that ex-soldiers should be appointed to their former corps and ex-soldiers who have served in Irish regiments and who are living in England can be appointed on enlistment to their old corps. As I have just stated, the age limit for ex-soldiers is now being raised to forty-five all over Great Britain and Ireland.
§ Mr. TENNANTVery soon, but I cannot say the actual moment.
§ 34 and 35. Mr. NIELDasked why, if it is the desire of the War Office to interest the influential county men in the work of recruiting, the lords lieutenant, or, failing them, the Chairmen of Quarter Sessions and chairmen of county councils should not have been invited to summon county meetings rather than the high sheriffs, seeing that the latter are merely executive officers to execute the King's writ, and may not be associated in any other way with the public life of the county; and (2) whether invitations have been addressed 276 to high sheriffs throughout England and Wales requesting them to convene county meetings for the purpose of aiding recruiting; and, if so, for what reason has this novel step been taken instead of calling upon lords lieutenant, acting with their deputies, to exercise their ancient functions and practice in cases of national emergency to aid in raising the forces of the Crown?
§ Mr. TENNANTI am informed that, though in some eases high sheriffs may-have convened meetings to promote recruiting, no general official invitation to them has been issued from the War Office with this object. The hon. Member will not have forgotten that a letter was issued to the Lords Lieutenant as long ago as 7th August asking them to use their influence to assist recruiting.