§ 18. Mr. LEES-SMITHasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he has now given further consideration to the question of whether he will issue instructions that women charged under the new Regulation 40D of the Defence of the Realm Act shall in all cases be informed that there is no power to compel them to submit to a medical examination against their will?
§ Sir G. CAVEI have considered this matter and have found no sufficient reason for issuing an instruction as proposed. No woman is examined without her consent.
§ Mr. LEES-SMITHWhen the right hon. Gentleman says that no woman is examined without her consent, does that mean that she is deliberately told that she need not be examined unless she wishes it? Will the right hon. Gentleman say that that is the case?
§ Sir G. CAVENo; she is asked if she will consent before the examination takes place.
§ 19. Mr. LEES-SMITHasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he is aware that the general rule laid down by him that women would not be prosecuted under Regulation 40D of the Defence of the Realm Act without the soldier or sailor concerned being summoned as a witness is being broken in a number of cases; and will he say what action he proposes to take?
§ Sir G. CAVEThe question does not correctly state the effect of the reply which I gave in this House on the 9th May, to which I beg to refer the hon. Member. I see no cause for any action on my part.
§ Mr. LEES-SMITHDid not the right hon. Gentleman say that as a general rule the soldier or sailor would appear, whereas in the majority of cases they are not appearing, and is not that a contradiction of the statement which he has made?
§ Sir G. CAVEI said that as a general rule the soldiers or sailors concerned would be called as witnesses. I laid down no general rule, but if the men are called there will be no difficulty.