§ That the provision in Sub-section (3), Section 2, of the principal Act, that no certificate of exemption shall be conditional upon the person to whom it is granted continuing in or entering into 1096 employment under any specified employer or in any specified place or establishment, shall not apply to a certificate for exemption granted on the ground of a conscientious objection to undertaking combatant service.
§ Clause brought up, and read the first time.
§ Motion made, and Question proposed, "That the Clause be read a second time."
§ Sir G. YOUNGERI submitted this Amendment this afternoon to the President of the Local Government Board and also brought it to the notice of the learned Solicitor-General. It is a proposal to amend Sub-section (3), Section 2, of the original Act. I bring this Amendment forward as a result of what took place at the Appeal Tribunal of which I am a member. The tribunal found themselves in great difficulty in dealing with the conscientious objector who was set to do work of national importance. Unquestionably he comes under that Subsection in Clause 2 of the principal Act. which prevents a tribunal giving a man exemption on the ground that he remains in a particular employment. The Section was introduced at the request of the Labour party, who feared industrial compulsion. But it makes it quite impossible for the tribunal effectively to carry out their duty in a case in which they wish to send a man to do work of national importance and give him relief from non-combatant service. There is the case of one of the Christadelphians who was exempted from both combatant and non-combatant service and was sent to work on a farm. We could only send him into that particular occupation, but we could not send him to it for any specified time. We did not wish to do that, but our difficulty is that if he leaves the farm after a month we cannot get hold of him. I do not think we have any power over him. It seems to us we ought to have the power to see that that man continues in some work of national importance. I have brought this Amendment to-night under the notice of the Member for Leeds, who has been dealing with this question on the Committee, and he quite supports it. So does the hon. Gentleman the Member for the Blackfriars Division. I hope the Government will accept this. I do not wish to press the right hon. Gentleman to take it now. If he would like a little time to consider it, I should be very glad to put it down for considera- 1097 tion on the Report stage. If he wishes me to take that course, I hope he will be satisfied, and also the House, that it is essential to have that power of exemption. I beg to move.
§ Sir G. CAVEThis raises a most important question. I think, however, that for the convenience of the whole House it would be better if we could see the proposal before it comes to be considered. I think the hon. Baronet is willing to put it down for the Report stage.
§ Sir G. YOUNGERYes, I beg leave to withdraw.
§ Motion and Clause, by leave, withdrawn.