§ 58. Mr. JOYNSON-HICKSasked the Under-Secretary of State for War if he will state how many men of military age are employed in Woolwich Arsenal upon work which might quite well be done by women?
§ Mr. FORSTERThere are at present employed in the Arsenal, including all departments, approximately 15,000 persons of military age. I do not know how many of these would be passed as fit for active military service. Most of them are employed on work in which they cannot be replaced by women. Most of the remainder could only be replaced, whether by women or by other men, after the latter had had a certain amount of training and experience and the change could only be carried out slowly and at the risk of dislocation of the work.