§ 12. Sir J. D. REESasked the Under-Secretary of State for War whether any man has been refused enlistment because he could not read or write; and, if so, whether any regulation, or rule, to this effect continues to exist to the prejudice of the realm in the present crisis?
§ Mr. TENNANTThe recruiting regulations require a man to be able to read and write before he can be enlisted, but this regulation has now been cancelled, so far as concerns enlistment for the duration of the War, in the Infantry of the Line, Remount and Labour Companies, and the Army Veterinary Corps.
§ 16. Mr. PATRICK MEEHANasked the Under-Secretary of State for War if soldiers under age serving abroad with the Expeditionary Force will only be discharged in cases where the parents can show they were not aware of their son's enlistment prior to his departure for service in the field; and, if not, will he state why Private Patrick Connell, No. 10,128, 2nd Battalion Leinster Regiment, who was sixteen years old on 2nd April, 1915, and who has been at the Front since 25th October, 1914, has not been discharged?
§ Mr. TENNANTI gave a full statement of the Regulations in force on this matter in an answer I gave to the hon. Member for Oxford University on the 28th September. As regards the particular case mentioned—i.e., that of Private Connell—the claim was duly brought to the notice of the Field-Marshal Commanding-in-Chief in France, with whom, under the Regulations, 1592 discretion lies, and Connell's mother was informed on the 8th September that this had been done.
§ Mr. MEEHANCan the right hon. Gentleman say whether this youth,, who has spent over twelve months in the trenches, will be allowed a short furlough?
§ Mr. TENNANTThat, of course, is a totally different question from the one which the hon. Member has asked me.
§ 28. Sir C. KINLOCH-COOKEasked the Under-Secretary of State for War whether any register has been kept of men offering themselves for enlistment and rejected as unfit; if so, can he give the number of these men; and, if no register has been kept, will he explain the reason for the omission?
§ Mr. TENNANTNo centralised record of the number of men who have presented themselves for enlistment and who have been rejected as unfit is kept, but a register giving such details is kept in all recruiting offices. The task of bringing together all these separate records would be a heavy one.
§ Sir C. KINLOCH-COOKEDoes the right hon. Gentleman not think it a very desirable thing?
§ Mr. TENNANTI do not say that it would not, but whether it would justify the labour involved is another question.
§ 63. Mr. MOLTENOasked the Prime Minister if he will state the nature, functions, and duties of the office of Director of Recruiting, to which the Earl of Derby has been appointed; what staff has been placed at his disposal; and who will be responsible in the House of Commons?
§ Mr. TENNANTMy right hon. Friend the Prime Minister has asked me to answer this question. At the request of the Secretary of State for War, Lord Derby has taken over the direction of recruiting. He will be responsible to the Secretary of State for all arrangements made in connection with the raising of recruits for the Army. In these duties he is assisted by a Director of Recruiting and the existing War Office recruiting staff, and any further staff he requires will be placed at his disposal. He is, at his own request, unpaid, and he has no military rank. As regards the last part of the question, Lord Derby has no ministerial responsibility, and it will be both my duty and my pleasure to answer for my Noble Friend.