§ 71. Mr. SNOWDENasked the President of the Local Government Board if a communication has been addressed to the Ilford local tribunal saying that a man who has divorced his wife and has the custody of dependent children is not in the same position under the Military Service Act, 1916, as a widower with dependent children; and, if so, on what grounds such a decision has been given?
§ Mr. LONGI am advised that a man who is legally divorced is "unmarried" within the meaning of Section 1 (1) (b) of the Military Service Act, and the local tribunal in question were informed to that effect.
§ Mr. SNOWDENCould the right hon. Gentleman explain how he justifies this distinction between a divorced man with children and a widower with children?
§ Mr. LONGThe hon. Gentleman is now asking me to defend a proposition of law. A man is either married or unmarried, and if he is divorced he is unmarried.