§ 14. Mr. DORISasked if the Royal Irish Constabulary have been authorised to issue to Irish labourers migrating to England and Scotland as in former years to undertake temporary work, other than munition or Government works, certificates that they are ordinarily resident in Ireland, and therefore exempt from compulsory military service; and whether labourers who have already migrated to England or Scotland before such instructions were issued, or without knowing that they had been issued, may now obtain such certificates on application to the constabulary of the Irish districts to which they belong?
§ Mr. DUKEThe Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Labour gave all the available information on this subject in a printed answer to a question of the hon. Member last Friday.
§ Mr. DORISIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that a number of these migratory labourers have been leased by the military here and there in Great Britain, rushed before the tribunals and sent into the Army utterly regardless of whether they are residents in Great Britain or not?
§ Mr. DUKENo, Sir. I should think that that is practically impossible. I am told that if any of these men had been seized they would not have gone before the tribunals. If the hon. Member calls my attention to any case in which there appears to have been a violation of what is known to be the intention of the Government, I will have it attended to at once.
§ Mr. BYRNEIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that there were within the last few days in Kilmarnock, in Scotland, a, number of labourers sent from the Dublin Labour Exchanges—
§ Mr. SPEAKERThe hon. Member must give notice of that question.