§ 36. Mr. PETOasked the Under-Secretary of State for War whether his attention has been called to a case before the Somersetshire Appeal Tribunal on 20th May, in which work under the Society for the Relief of Germans, Austrians, and Hungarians in Distress was accepted as work of national importance, and which was held to be good ground for conditional exemption of a conscientious objector; whether the military authorities consider it necessary to employ British subjects of military age to do rough work for enemy aliens interned in this country; and whether German subjects are employed in doing similar work for British prisoners of war or interned civilians in Germany?
§ Mr. TENNANTThe power to determine what is work of national importance does not rest with the War Office. The Committee on Work of National Importance decides these matters, I understand, and the opinion of the military authorities is not sought. I am unable to answer the last part of the question.