§ 85. Mr. NEEDHAMasked the Under-Secretary for War whether he is aware of the hardship entailed on youths of eighteen who are about to sit for university and professional examinations being called to the Colours; and whether he will arrange for such calling up to be deferred in those cases where proper proof is furnished until after the examinations have been held?
§ Mr. MACPHERSONI realise that there may be hardship in individual cases of youths of eighteen who are called to the Colours, but these youths are urgently required for military service, and, as my hon. Friend will realise, there are few oases now of men joining the Army in which some hardship is not involved. To make individual exceptions for boys taking examinations would possibly mean injustice to other possible candidates whose cases were not submitted. The matter would seem to be one for adjustment by the authorities responsible for the examinations, rather than for the Army Council. Though, of course, application can be made to tribunals to grant exemptions on those grounds, the military authorities would not, for the reasons above stated, be prepared to refrain from opposition to such application.