§ 54. Mr. MORRELLasked the President of the Local Government Board if he will make inquiries into the case of W. H. Smith, of 293, Slade Road, Erdington, who obtained a certificate of exemption from combatant service from the Birmingham Local Tribunal on 15th March, 1916, before the Pelham Committee had been set up; whether he is aware that on 28th April this 2048 man applied for a revision of his certificate, on the ground that he was willing to accept work of national importance under the civil authority, but could not undertake service in the Non-Combatant Corps; that on 24th May he received a certificate stating that his case would be revised, and that he has since been waiting for such revision and has been unable to get any regular employment, on the ground that he is technically liable to arrest; and whether, in view of the hardship that is caused to this man by this delay of four months in revising his case, he will take steps to see that the case is decided as soon as possible?
§ The PRESIDENT Of the LOCAL GOVERNMENT BOARD (Mr. Long)I will have inquiries made.
§ Mr. MORRELLDoes the right hon. Gentleman not realise that it is very undesirable that this man should be kept in compulsory idleness during a period of four months?
§ 92 Mr. OUTHWAITEasked the Secretary of State for War (1) whether, pending the consideration of his case by the Central Appeal Tribunal under the new scheme, he will order the release on furlough of Ealing Penilott, a conscientious objector, who was sent to Usk civil prison on 14th June; (2) whether he will cause an inquiry to be made with a view to ascertaining why Ealing Penilott, a conscientious objector, sent to Usk on 14th June, had not been permitted to communicate with his parents up to 10th August; and (3) whether, pending consideration of their cases by the Central Appeal Tribunal under the new scheme, he will order the release on furlough of the following conscientious objectors, who were on 9th August removed from Forest Hall camp to Newcastle civil prison: George Horwill, H. Horwill, Adam Daniels, Samuel Daniels, Thomas M'Ellin, Leo M'Ellin, Edward M'Ellin, John H. M'Ellin, Fawcett, Harold Watt, and W. H. Thompson?
§ Mr. FORSTERAs Ealing Penilott is in a civil prison the question regarding the facilities for correspondence allowed to him should be addressed to my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary. I cannot undertake that he shall be released on furlough, and the same statement applies to the cases of the men mentioned in Question 94. In connection with these two questions, Nos. 92 and 94, I would refer the 2049 hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave on the 15th of August to the hon. Member for the Kennington Division.