§ 13. Mr. HOGGEasked the Under-Secretary of State for War whether a man who is unfit and does not go up for re-examination until he is called up after 1st September has the right of appeal in the event of his being accepted, or must he appeal before 30th September?
§ Mr. TENNANTA man who has offered himself for enlistment and been rejected since the 14th August, 1915, and to whom written notice to present himself again for medical examination is sent by the Army Council before the 1st September, 1916, 1499 must deliver to the appropriate tribunal before the 30th September any application which he proposes to make for a certificate of exemption.
§ 14 Mr. HOGGEasked the Under-Secretary of State for War (1) whether the only men who will not be reexamined are those who are blind, without limb, lame, paralysed, and those whose names are recorded in the military register as having been rejected by a medical board; whether those who have been rejected at the primary military examination, but whose names were not recorded owing to the fault of the recruiting officer, will be re-examined or the mistake simply rectified; (2) whether, as promised by the President of the Local Government Board, recruiting officers have been instructed to give medically rejected men an opportunity to present their cases before being summoned for medical re-examination; if not, whether he will issue such instructions so that the recruiting officers may have all necessary information before deciding what men are to be summoned for medical re-examination; and (3) whether the recruiting officers throughout the country have been notified that the aim of the Army Council in summoning men for medical re-examination is to eliminate only the improperly rejected—that is, men holding certificates which have been granted to others than themselves and transferred to them, and men holding certificates saying they were unfit because of some transient and now long-past disability; and whether recruiting officers have been instructed to proceed on those lines in deciding what men are to be summoned for medical re-examination?
§ Mr. TENNANTI have already sent to my hon. Friend a copy of the Instructions issued by the Army Council with reference to the re-examination of men previously rejected, and I will send him a copy of the Army Form which is to be sent to men who offered themselves for enlistment and were rejected since the 14th August, 1915. I do not think there is anything that I can usefully add to the full information contained in these papers, except possibly a reminder to him that as this country is engaged in a serious struggle it needs all the man power at its disposal.
§ Mr. HOGGEIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that I have seen these papers and because I have seen them I have put 1500 these questions down? Because of his unsatisfactory reply, I will raise the matter on the Adjournment to-night.
§ 24. Mr. HOGGEasked the Under-Secretary of State for War why men who have already been medically rejected are invited to attest up to 31st August under the Derby scheme; why it is stated that if they do not do so they will be called up-under the Military Service Act; and whether this applies to men who hold certificates of rejection in any of the categories mentioned by him?
§ Mr. TENNANTThis invitation was extended to these men because many of them expressed, either directly or through intermediaries, their wish to have an opportunity of coming forward again voluntarily as they had done in the past. My hon. Friend will agree with me that these men's patriotism is most praiseworthy, and that the Army Council would have been much to blame and would have created a grievance if they had withheld the opportunity desired. The statements which have already been made in regard to calling up men for re-examination holds good.
§ Mr. HOGGEDo I understand that none of the four categories mentioned by the right hon. Gentleman as coming under the proposal are to be called up under the Derby scheme?
§ Mr. TENNANTSo far as I realise the situation, the men who have offered themselves voluntarily and have been rejected will have exactly the rights stated in the forms I have sent to my hon. Friend. What that has to do with the Derby scheme I am really unable to say.