§ 65. Sir JOHN JARDINEasked whether men, after passing the examination of the National Service medical board and receiving a classification card stating the grade they are placed in, are entitled at once after receiving the printed notice to join as soldiers to make any application that on the ground of age or special fitness they may be attached to service on the land or in a munitions or other factory; and, if so, will he say to whom such application should be made and in what manner, and how much time is allowed for such an application?
§ 69. Mr. RENDALLasked why men who have received their calling-up notice but are not yet in the Army and who, if in 1210 Grade 1 are over forty-five, and if in Grade 2 are over thirty-five, are not allowed to volunteer for war work under the new scheme?
§ Mr. BECKMen of the new military age under call for military service will, if of the appropriate age and grade, be permitted to enrol under the War Work Volunteer Scheme or the War Agricultural Volunteer Scheme up to and including the 6th July. In such cases the man's calling up notice will be suspended for a sufficient period to allow him time to apply for a protection certificate after taking up the work for which he was enrolled.
Instructions have been given that calling-up notices shall not be issued to men of the new military age until ten days after their medical grading. This affords such men after their medical examination an opportunity of offering themselves for enrolment under the War Work Volunteer Scheme or the War Agricultural Volunteer Scheme before receiving a calling-up notice for military service.
Particulars of this scheme can be obtained from Employment Exchanges, but it must be clearly understood that no man can be enrolled under the War Work Volunteer Scheme until he has been offered to an employer for a definite vacancy and accepted by him.
§ Mr. RENDALLWill the hon. Gentleman state if we can get a copy of the statement referred to at the Vote Office?
§ Mr. BECKIt may not be at the Vote Office, but it will be in the Library shortly. The instruction has been given, but I do not know whether it has reached the Library yet.
§ Mr. RENDALLWhen will the notices for provincial recruiting be sent out? Will he explain what is the position of men between forty-four and fifty-three who wish to be enrolled and go to the Labour Exchanges and find there is no work for them; will they be safeguarded until work can be found for them?
§ Mr. BECKAs regards the latter part of the question, certainly not. It would be impossible to have a number of men who have enrolled for work of national importance and afterwards find that they were not available for military service.
§ Mr. RENDALLWill the Ministry find them work?
§ Mr. RENDALLWill it be the duty of the Employment Exchanges to find work, if possible, for these men?
§ Mr. BECKNo; there are certain vacancies which urgently require filling in order to enable this work of national importance to be done. Certain opportunities are offered to men of the older ages and of low medical categories, but there is no question of finding work for the men, and thus depriving the Army of their services.
§ Mr. MOUNT(by Private Notice) asked the President of the Board of Agriculture whether it is the fact, as stated in the Press to-day, that further calling-up notices of men engaged in agriculture have been postponed till after the harvest, and whether this postponement applies to notices which have already been sent out, but where the men to whom the notices apply have not been posted?
§ The PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY to the BOARD of AGRICULTURE (Sir Richard Winfrey)The answer to the first part of the question is in the affirmative; that to the latter is in the negative. I understand that men who have already received their calling-up notices must obey them.
§ Mr. MOUNTIs the hon. Gentleman aware that the date of issuing the calling-up notice, in order that men may be posted by 30th June, has already expired in cases where the war agricultural committees have done their best to get their required quota by the desired time, and that in those cases no advantage will be given to agriculture by this so-called concession?
§ Sir R. WINFREYThe reply that I have given was given after consultation with the Minister of National Service.
§ Colonel ASHLEYWill the hon. Gentleman postpone altogether the calling-up of agricultural men, in view of the fact that we were officially informed by the Government that there were not sufficient men over here to supply the deficiency?
§ Sir R. WINFREYThat is a qustion which must be addressed to the Minister of National Service.
§ Mr. OUTHWAITEHas the hon. Gentleman's attention been called to the statement in the Press yesterday that the Cardigan farmers are handing back their calling-up notices as the result of meetings held throughout the county, and—
§ Mr. SPEAKERThe hon. Member had better give notice of that question: