12. Mr. SOMERVELLasked the Under-Secretary of State for War if he can furnish a reason why leave to England is 403 granted from France to officers and men on Army corps and divisional staffs, and attached thereto, more frequently than to officers and men in or nearer the line, on whom the strain, discomfort, and peril of war weigh far more heavily; and if any steps can be taken to remedy this state of affairs?
§ Mr. MACPHERSONI regret that I am not in a position to answer my hon. Friend's question. All leave for officers and men of the Expeditionary Force serving in France is regulated by the Field-Marshal Commanding-in-Chief, and I have no doubt that he makes the best arrangements which the exigencies of the Service permit.
Mr. SOMERVELLWould it not be possible to make some arrangement by which the existing hardship which these men up the line do suffer in comparison with men in easier places could be remedied? There must be some remedy.
§ Mr. MACPHERSONI need hardly tell the House that the Field-Marshal Commanding-in-Chief bears in mind all relevant facts.
§ Colonel ASHLEYWould not the grievance be met if when a certain number of permits for leave are granted to a division these permits for leave were allocated to officers, non-commissioned officers, and men in proportion to the strength of those rank in that division?
§ Mr. MACPHERSONI would point out that that peculiar fact is before the Field-Marshal now.
§ 15. Mr. JOWETTasked the Under-Secretary of State for War concerning Private J. Finan, No. 61572, Royal Army Medical Corps, British Expeditionary Force, France, a soldier who has served in Egypt and Palestine for two years and since then has served four months in France, and has had no leave for the whole period of two years and four months, whether he will endeavour to arrange for the soldier in question to have a leave at an early date?
§ Mr. MACPHERSONI regret that I cannot take any special action in cases such as the one mentioned, but I know that the claims of all men so situated receive every consideration possible in the situation prevailing on the Western Front.