§ 9. Mr. LEES-SMITHasked the Under-Secretary of State for War in how many cases soldiers have been tried by court-martial on the complaint of a woman that they had infected her with venereal disease?
§ Mr. MACPHERSONI am sorry that I have no information, but if my hon. Friend can direct my attention to any cases where such a complaint has been lodged I will endeavour to find out what punishment, if any, has been inflicted on the soldier. The maximum punishment to which he is liable under Section 11 of the Army Act is two years' hard labour, and not six months, as the case with a woman under Regulation 40 d.
§ Mr. LEES-SMITHIs it not a fact that while the right hon. Gentleman says there is no evidence of any soldier having been punished, there is already evidence of a large number of women having been 2023 punished, and that his statement that this Regulation applies equally to women and men breaks down in practice?
§ Mr. SPEAKERThe hon. Gentleman is making a statement in the form of a question.
§ 14. Mr. LEES-SMITHasked the Under-Secretary of State for War whether he will say how many resolutions he has received demanding the withdrawal of Regulation 40 d of the Defence of the Realm Acts?
§ Mr. MACPHERSONUpwards of 300 resolutions to this effect have been received in the War Office. In many cases, however, more than one copy of the same resolution has been received, and I have no doubt that in nearly all cases the same resolutions have been sent to the Home Office.
§ Mr. LEES-SMITHIs there any prospect of the War Office dealing with this matter, in view of the large number of resolutions?
§ Mr. MACPHERSONThe whole question has been most carefully considered, not only by the War Office, but by the War Cabinet.