1. Mr. REND ALLasked the Under-Secretary of State for War whether he is aware that the assistance of a court-martial friend was refused to Private W. E. Hancock, 30th Training Reserve Company, Folkestone Road. Dover, a conscientious objector, contrary to the rules laid down for court-martial procedure; and will he give instructions that the commanding officer concerned allows Hancock to see his friend for consultation?
§ The UNDER-SECRETARY of STATE for WAR (Mr. Macpherson)I would refer my hon. Friend to the answer which I gave yesterday to the hon. Member for Blackburn.
§ 4. Mr. KINGasked the Under-Secretary of State for War the number of conscientious objectors whom the Central Tribunal have refused to recommend for work under the Home Office scheme?
§ The PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY to the LOCAL GOVERNMENT BOARD (Mr. Hayes Fisher)I have been asked to reply to this question. The Central Tribunal do not recommend these men for work under the Home Office Committee; they report only as to the conscientious objection of the men. I understand that ninety men have not been offered work in consequence of reports by the Central Tribunal.
§ 6. Mr. THOMAS RICHARDSONasked the Under-Secretary of State for War whether he is aware that Richard Bell, of 16, Lindley Street, Liverpool, who had applied for exemption from military service on conscientious grounds, was arrested on 9th February, taken before the stipendiary and fined 40s. and handed over to the military; whether he is aware that Bell stated in his defence to the magistrate that he had not been allowed to state his case before the tribunal; but was told that his appeal was quashed last July; whether he is aware that Bell subsequently received a notice calling him up for the 16th instant, and also another notice from the Lancashire Appeal Tribunal asking him to appear before them on the 16th instant; whether, under such circumstances, Bell was arrested illegally and was in the hands of the military before he had been summoned to state his case before the tribunal; and whether instructions can be given for Bell's release to enable him to appear before the tribunal as prescribed by law?
§ Mr. MACPHERSONI have called for a report of this case, and will let my hon. Friend know the result as soon as possible.
§ 23. Mr. T. RICHARDSONasked the Home Secretary whether a. number of conscientious objectors have been transferred from the Wakefield Work Centre to Bibby's Oil Cake Mills, Liverpool; whether they are being used on the substitution scheme and what scale of pay is being given to these men for the work performed; and whether they were told that there would be no organising there?
§ The UNDER-SECRETARY of STATE for the HOME DEPARTMENT (Mr. Brace)Twenty-five conscientious objectors are employed under the control of the Committee on Employment of Conscientious Objectors at the Oil Cake Mills of Messrs. J. Bibby and Sons, Limited, at Liverpool. Messrs. Bibby applied to the Committee for labour on the ground that the work on which the men would be employed was of national importance and that they were very short of men. The firm are paying to the Committee the standard rate of wages in respect of the services of these men, and the Committee, in addition to housing, feeding, and clothing the men, pay them 8d. a day and provide, where necessary, allowances for their wives and children. I do not understand the last part of the question.