§ 17. Mr. R. McNEILLasked the Under-Secretary of State for War whether all the men of the London Ambulance Column have been exempted from military service in order to continue in their employment as ambulance drivers; whether it has been decided that women are not to be employed in this work in England, although numbers of English women as well as French are driving ambulances in 1427 France; and whether he will reconsider this decision and take steps to employ women as ambulance drivers so as to set free for combatant service the men now so employed?
§ Mr. MACPHERSONThe men who are fit for general service have been gradually withdrawn, and the process will be completed in the case of the few remaining in the course of the next few weeks.
§ Mr. McNEILLDoes that mean that women will be employed?
§ Mr. MACPHERSONI cannot say. All I can say is that men who are fit for active service will no longer be employed in ambulance work.
§ Mr. ASHLEYWill the hon. Gentleman consider the advisability of employing women and thus freeing men for active service?
§ Mr. MACPHERSONI will lay that proposal before the proper authorities.