49. Mr. GORDON HARVEYasked the Prime Minister if the conclusion to which the Government came on the review of the situation by the Cabinet Committee, that 200,000 unattested married men could be spared to the Army from industry, was arrived at by settling the minimum numbers of men necessary to be retained in each of the separate trades; and if he will inform the House whether it is proposed to issue any instructions to the tribunals setting out the number of men that should be enlisted, having regard to the number already obtained in the district under their supervision, so as to avoid the depletion of labour in industries which are discharging responsibilities essential to the prosecution of the War?
§ The PRIME MINISTERWith regard to the first part of the question, I must refer my hon. Friend to the answer given him by my right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade on the 16th May. With regard to the last part of the question, the Government are of the opinion that their present arrangements provide against the danger to which my hon. Friend refers.