HC Deb 24 February 1916 vol 80 cc794-5
67. Mr. MORTON

asked the Under-Secretary of State for War whether, in view of paragraph 14 of Form R. 48 (Instructions to tribunals as to voluntarily attested men), he will say, if an employer makes an application for exemption of an employé on the ground of indispensability, the employé is thereby precluded from making an application on personal grounds to the tribunal of the area in which he resides?

74. Mr. BOOTH

asked whether, if an employer makes an application for exemption of an employé on the ground of indispensability, the employé is thereby precluded from making an application on personal grounds to the tribunal of the area in which he resides?

Mr. TENNANT

I would refer my hon. Friends to the full explanation I gave yesterday on this matter in reply to a question put to me by the hon. Member for the College Division of Glasgow.

Mr. MORTON

Is my right hon. Friend aware that apparently his reply yesterday only applies to cases under the Military Service Act, whereas we want to go a little further than that?

Mr. TENNANT

I am not aware that that is so. I think it applies to both cases of men attested and men under the Military Service Act.

Mr. MORTON

I will put down another question on the subject.

Mr. PRINGLE

A great many of us did not understand the right hon. Gentleman's answer yesterday. Can he reply to the question actually on the Paper?

Mr. TENNANT

My reply was to that effect—and I will repeat it substantially—that any man who desires to be exempted and wishes to appeal to the tribunals, if he has a private reason and a reason in relation to the employment in which he is engaged, he should confer with his employer and make up his mind which is the most governing reason. That is what I said yesterday. It is the perfectly natural and proper course to adopt. There is no good in the hon. Gentleman shaking his head. Having made up his mind whether the most important reason is that which is personal or that relating to his employment, he can go forward to the tribunal with the governing reason.