§ 16. Mr. T. C. TAYLORasked the Under-Secretary of State for War whether the statement made by the Chairman of the House of Commons Tribunal on 2nd July that men holding certificates of exemption from a local tribunal are not liable for medical re-examination by any military authority has the sanction of the War Office; if so, why this is not made clear in the notice (A.F.W. 3,579) requiring men to be re-examined, which purports to give a full list of exceptions to the requirement; and whether he will have the necessary addition made to all forms sent out after this date?
§ Mr. MACPHERSONThe Military Service (Review of Excepitons) Act, 1917, applies only to men who were, previously excepted from liability for military service. If such a man previously. held a certificate of exemption, such a certificate, being an exemption from a liability to which he was not subject, had no validity, and, therefore, did not preclude the man being served with a Statutory Order under the Act. It is, therefore, unnecessary to make any such addition to the Statutory Order as is suggested. I am not aware in what context the alleged statement by the Chairman of the London Appeal Tribunal may have been made, but it is the fact that a man who holds a valid 1714 certificate of exemption from a tribunal, and who has already been examined by a recruiting medical board, is not required to be medically re-examined while the certificate is current. If, however, a man though holding a tribunal certificate, has never been examined by a medical board he can be required to submit himself for examination under Defence of the Realm Regulation 45 C.
§ Mr. TAYLORWould there be any drawback to putting this alongside the other exemptions on the noticed?
§ Mr. MACPHERSONI am afraid my hon. Friend has not heard the whole of my answer. My hon. Friend is talking of exemptions. The Act refers not to exemptions, but to exceptions.