§ 83. Mr. THOMASasked the Under-Secretary of State for War whether he is aware that a number of men of the 1st Monmouthshire Regiment have not had leave of absence since going to France in February, 1915; and, having regard to the fact that inquiries were being made recently into this matter, since when these men have been in Egypt and are now back in France, he will take steps to ensure leave being granted after such long service?
§ Mr. TENNANTI fear I cannot intervene to ask that leave may be given to particular soldiers or bodies of soldiers, without regard to the rules and conditions in force at the time. These rules and conditions are administered, and can only be administered with fairness and impartiality, by the military authorities in France, who have the whole position before them. If the battalion in question has returned to France from elsewhere, my hon. Friend may, I think, be assured that they will be granted equal facilities with other units of the British Expeditionary Force in that country. This, of course, will be subject to military exigencies. I submit to the House that when our Allies are heavily engaged with the enemy, the moment is not altogether appropriate for discussion of questions of leave for British soldiers, though I, of course, fully sympathise with and understand the point of view from which my hon. Friend has put this question.
§ 85. Mr. GWYNNEasked the Under-Secretary of State for War whether he is aware that when men are warned for drafts for the front all leave is now cancelled; and whether he will consider 1206 the possibility of granting every man forty-eight hours' leave after he is warned for the purpose of seeing his relatives?
§ Mr. TENNANTI am afraid that it is impossible when a draft is placed under orders for embarkation to grant further leave to those included in the draft, but every possible opportunity is taken to ensure that the men who are likely to be included in drafts are given leave in advance of the draft being placed under orders. As I indicated just now, the present and future phases of the War do not, and will not, admit of increased facilities for leave. The position will, in fact, be rather the reverse.
§ Mr. GWYNNEWill the right hon. Gentleman see to it that men who are sent out have some means of communicating with their relatives before they go?
§ Mr. TENNANTIt is not always possible to do what my hon. Friend suggests. It is the policy of the War Office to endeavour to do it, but sometimes the order comes for the men to go out very rapidly, and it cannot be done.