§ 68. Sir H. ELVERSTONasked the Under-Secretary of State for War whether the Medical Board at Chester only sits from 9.30 a.m. to 4 p.m., with a break of two hours for lunch or four and a half hours per day; whether he is aware that since 29th May, the date on which Groups thirty-three to forty-one had to report, large numbers of men have been held over night at Chester and not examined till the following day; whether he is aware that hundreds of men have been called up by notice on Army Form A.W.F. 3195 to the sub-area recruiting offices in the Chester area and have had to be sent 828 home on pay and leave till a later date when they could be sent to Chester to be dealt with; and whether he is prepared to relieve this congestion by increasing the efficiency of the Medical Board at Chester?
§ 70 and 71. Mr. ANDERSONasked the Under-Secretary of State for War (1) whether he will cause further investigation to be made into the case of No. 24,417, Private W. H. J. Smith, E Company, 3rd battalion Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry; whether he is aware that this young man went to Somerset House on the 12th January and was declared by the examining doctor to be medically unfit, but was refused rejection papers on the ground that he might be able to undertake some light duty such as clerical work; that on the 14th January, according to instructions, he went to the King's Hall, Hackney Baths, was again examined by two doctors, who corroborated the statement of the first that the man was fit only for light duty; that on the 3rd February he was sent to Stratford, and from there to Bodmin, being passed definitely into the Army for general service; that after a week of training he broke down and was removed to hospital, and that he has repeatedly broken down since, and that in all he has only been able to do eleven days' training since he joined five months ago, the greater part of his time being spent in the hospital; whether inquiries will be made with a view to his discharge; and (2) whether he will investigate the methods in connection with the enlistment of James Ford, 447, New Cross Road, New Cross, S.E.; whether he is aware that this man attested on 10th February and was passed fit for Home service only, that he lodged on the 28th February an application for exemption with the local tribunal, that on 15th March he received notice to join up, and two days later went before the medical board at Camberwell Baths, and was passed fit for general service at home or abroad; that on being informed by the Deptford recruiting officer that he would be called up within seven days of 30th April this man resigned his employment, but heard nothing further from the military authorities until he was asked to report at Chester on 1st June; that on reporting there on that date he was placed for sedentary work at Home and informed that his services were not required at present, and that he would be told when to report again; whether he is aware, that such action puts 829 men to personal inconvenience and financial hardship; and whether in such cases the War Office accept any financial liability to men treated in this way?
§ Mr. TENNANTI have called for reports on these cases.