41. Mr. MacCALLUM SCOTTasked the Secretary of State for War whether an Order has been issued calling up for medical re-examination all those group and class men who have been placed in categories not being taken for service, and who have been sent back to their homes; whether there has been any change in the standard of fitness for service in the Army; and whether he is aware that this lack of finality and definiteness in War Office decisions is causing hardship to thousands of individuals and interfering with the proper conduct of their businesses?
§ Mr. FORSTERAn Order has been issued that all group and class men who have been placed by medical boards in categories not being taken for service and who have accordingly been sent back to their homes to continue in the Army Reserve shall be called up for medical reexamination. There has been no change in the standard of fitness for service in the Army, but the needs of the Army are not permanently fixed and limited. They change as the situation develops. The policy throughout has been to leave as many men as possible in civil life and that policy continues to be followed. At no time have the military authorities announced that men who were relegated to the Reserve were not to be called up at any future time. It has always been the intention to call up these men as they were required, and this has been made clear in the answers to questions which have already been given in this House. Men who are fit for service in any category are being taken for the Army as they are required, 1189 and this must continue to foe the policy which governs the calling of men to the Colours.
Mr. SCOTTCan the hon. Gentleman say whether, according to this Order, the men who have been re-examined and who have been put into a new class, which is being called up, are to be given fourteen days' notice, with the exception of those who hold a written guarantee that they should have two months' notice; is he aware that besides those holding written guarantees, given in the month of May, those sent back to their homes before that date were given a verbal guarantee that they would have two months' notice—a guarantee that was confirmed by the right hon. Gentleman sitting next him (Mr. Lloyd George) in this House—
§ Mr. SPEAKERThe hon. Gentleman should give notice of those questions.
55. Mr. MacCALLUM SCOTTasked the Financial Secretary to the War Office whether an Order has been issued calling up for medical re-examination attested men who have previously been called up and rejected by medical boards; whether this places the men who volunteered under the Derby scheme in a worse position than those who come under the Military Service Acts; whether the pledge given to attested men, that if they volunteered they would not be placed under less favourable conditions than the men who refused to volunteer, still holds good; and whether he has been consulted with regard to this Order?
§ Mr. FORSTERThe men to whom my hon. Friend refers as having been "rejected by medical boards" were sent back to their homes to continue in the Army Reserve as I have already explained in answer to an earlier question. During the period ending 1st September, men who had offered themselves for enlistment and been rejected for military service were, under the provisions of the Military Service Act, sent notices calling them up for reexamination. The instructions referred to in the question were not issued until 30th October, and the object of them is merely to check and revise the earlier medical examinations. The examination of the men affected by them has consequently taken place at a much later date than that 1190 of those coming under Section 3 (1) Military Service Act, 1916 (Session 2) and to this extent these men are not worse but better off than the men whose medical examinations were ordered prior to 1st September.
Mr. SCOTTWhat proportion of the hon. Gentleman's time is taken up in studying questions which do not belong to his Department of the War Office?
§ Mr. FORSTERI do not think that arises out of this question.