§ 36. Sir JAMES AGG-GARDNERasked the Secretary for War if arrangements may be made to transfer home-service men employed in guarding munition works, railway bridges, etc., at a great distance from their homes to localities within their reach?
§ Mr. FORSTERI am making inquiry to see if anything further can be done in this direction.
§ 43. Colonel CROFTasked the Secretary of State for War whether his attention has been called to the fact that in the last fortnight numbers of men in Class C have been called up to Winchester and sent back again; that great distress and uncertainty is thus caused; and whether such disorganisation will be prevented in the future?
§ Mr. FORSTERI am making inquiries and will inform the hon. and gallant Member of the result.
46. Mr. MacCALLUM SCOTTasked the Secretary of State for War what steps he proposes to take with regard to men in Categories C 2 and C 3, whom as a class the War Office does not expect to call up, in order to give to those who are engaged in business and who are at present debarred from entering into ordinary business contracts, by reason of the uncertainty as to whether they may be the individuals called up, the utmost possible security as to their position?
§ Mr. FORSTERI fear I can add nothing to the answer which I gave the hon. Member yesterday on this subject.
Mr. SCOTTIs the hon. Gentleman aware of the hardship inflicted upon these men, and will he do something to secure that the problem can be dealt with by businesslike methods?
§ Mr. FORSTERI have already told my hon. Friend that in days like these everybody is suffering hardship, and it is inevitable that some hardship must be suffered. I told the hon. Member yesterday that I had already looked into the question to see if anything could be done, and I expressed the regret that it cannot.
Mr. SCOTTIs it necessary to keep twenty or thirty thousand men in suspense when the Government have already stated that they only require a few of them?
§ Mr. FORSTERI did not say that we would only require a few of them, but that in the majority of cases we did not think they would be wanted. I cannot give any pledge.
Mr. SCOTTCannot the hon. Gentleman undertake to earmark those required first, and call them up first?
§ Mr. FORSTERI dealt with that yesterday, and I was very sorry that it could not be done.