§ 106. Mr. MORRELLasked the Under-Secretary of State for War whether single men of military age who have offered themselves for enlistment and been rejected since 14th August are still receiving 1699 yellow notices issued under the Military Service Act, 1916, requiring them to join the Colours on a given date; that the officers at the recruiting offices refuse to accept the production of a certificate as sufficient evidence of rejection, but require that the man shall himself attend a second time before they will cancel the notice, which ought never to have been sent; whether he is aware that there is no provision in the Act under which such attendance can properly be asked; and whether, in order to simplify the procedure, he will now give instructions to all recruiting officers that in every case where a valid certificate is produced showing that the man to whom a yellow notice has been sent is within the exceptions mentioned in the First Schedule of the Act such notice shall at once be cancelled?
§ Mr. TENNANTI have already dealt with the first part of this question in answer to questions in this House, and a communiqué has been issued to the Press and a poster widely exhibited instructing men who receive the notice paper in the circumstances mentioned how to act. Action, if such has been taken in the sense of the second part of the question, would be quite contrary to the spirit of all the instructions that have been issued. Attendance of men who have been rejected is not required so long as they can produce proof of rejection. Instructions in the sense of the last part of the question have already been given.
§ Mr. MORRELLWould it then be sufficient to send the certificate through the post to the recruiting officer in order to get the yellow form cancelled?
§ Mr. TENNANTNo, Sir. My hon. Friend cannot have seen the instructions which have been issued. The man must return the yellow paper.
§ Mr. ROWLANDSWill he upon giving notice receive another certificate?
§ Mr. TENNANTIf the person who receives a yellow notice has documentary evidence of his rejection, he should state what that documentary evidence is. If he has no documentary evidence, he should state the date, place and circumstances in connection with the occasion when he was rejected.
§ Mr. ROWLANDSWhere he has not this documentary evidence, will the notice be annulled?
§ Mr. TENNANTHe will have to give something which is acceptable.
§ Mr. PRINGLEHave these instructions reached all recruiting officers throughout the country?
§ Mr. TENNANTYes, Sir.