§ 16 and 19. Mr. RENDALLasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies (1) whether he is aware that, as the result of the War, many thousands of marriages between overseas soldiers and British women have taken place, and that there is evidence that some hundreds of these are bigamous; that the War Office have declined, and so have the various Dominion troops' record offices, to furnish copies of Dominion soldiers' records, furnishing addresses, etc., of the soldiers, to enable inquiries to be prosecuted, even if application for such copy of the record is made by the soldier himself; that the expense of a suit for nullity of marriage is out of the power of most of the women affected; will he consult the Agents-General of the various Dominions and seek ways to make such bigamous marriages less easy, and arrange for official help from tine Dominions to reduce the expense of nullity proceedings; (2) whether he is aware that since the War commenced many thousands of marriages between overseas soldiers and women in the United Kingdom have taken place; that evidence exists which shows that in some hundreds of cases such marriages have been bigamous; that no means of annulling such marriages are open to the aggrieved women except applications to the High Court requiring legal evidence procured 383 in the Dominions; that the expense of such applications is outside the power of the majority of women so married; and that it is the opinion of the Registrar-General that a change in the law is required to make such bigamous marriages less easy; and whether he proposes to take any action in the matter?
§ The UNDER SECRETARY of STATE for WAR (Mr. Macpherson)As I fully explained to my hon. Friend in reply to a question on this subject on 5th February last, bonâfide inquiries as to whether overseas soldiers are already married or not are always answered by the Record Offices concerned so far as the documents show. I have no information as to the number of marriages which have taken place between overseas soldiers and British women, but I hope that the number of such marriages which my hon. Friend alleges to have been bigamous is exaggerated. I understand that a bigamous marriage is void ab initio, and that no proceedings in the High Court for nullity are necessary. It is not practicable for the War Office to promote legislation on this matter or to facilitate the obtaining of legal evidence from the Dominions.
§ Mr. RENDALLIs the hon. Gentleman aware that requests have been made to the War Office and various Agents-General that a record of each soldier in those offices should be given, and those requests have been refused; and will the hon. Gentleman explain why it is not possible, if the soldier asks for it, to satisfy the relations of the woman he proposes to marry that a copy of the document should not be given?
§ Mr. MACPHERSONI am told that the Dominions authorities, as well as the War Office, will give any information, provided it is asked for bonâfide.
§ Mr. RENDALLIs there any objection to giving a copy of the whole record if the soldier himself asks for it?
§ Mr. MACPHERSONI cannot see why, if the soldier himself asks for it, a copy should be refused. There is no case for refusal, and we guard with extreme care the confidential documents of any soldier.
§ Brigadier-General McCALMONTIs it not possible for the soldier to obtain the information through his commanding officer?
§ Mr. MACPHERSONI think there is a good deal in the hon. and gallant Member's point. All we want to be assured of is that the application is bonâfide, because we are the custodians of the man's confidential documents and there might be something in them that he might not like to see revealed.
§ Mr. RENDALLIs the hon. Member not aware that although it is the fact that a bigamous marriage is no marriage, yet in regard to property and children of a bigamous marriage it is necessary that it should be annulled by an application to the High Court? Does the hon. Gentleman not realise that this is very costly and out of the power of the woman to do, and does he not think legislation should be passed to put these women into a better position?
§ Mr. MACPHERSONIt is obvious that it is not for the War Office to promote such legislation, and all inquiries ought to be addressed to the Dominion authorities.