§ 26. Mr. SNOWDENasked if a conscientious objector named Parker, of Aberdare, was recently released under the exceptional employment scheme and permitted to take up employment with Parker and Company, motor repairers, of Aberdare; whether, after this young man had been in this employment for a few days, he was informed by the committee by telegram that he must find other employment within fourteen days; whether the committee have since insisted that he must find work more than 50 miles away from Aberdare; will he say what is the reason that the committee, having approved this employment as satisfying their requirements, should so quickly discover that it was unsuitable; will he say whether the action of the committee was due to representations made from Aberdare by the political opponents of the man's father; whether it is the practice of the committee to lend itself to persecution to satisfy political spite; and under what Clause in the conditions regulating exceptional employment the committee are authorised to insist that a man must find employment 50 miles away from home?
The UNDER-SECRETARY Of STATE for the (HOME DEPARTMENT (Mr. Brace)The answers to the first three questions are in the affirmative. This conscientious objector was required to find fresh work because it was discovered that his original application had not fully disclosed the facts, and, further, that he was doing work other than that which the committee had authorised. There has been no persecution. The committee have full discretion to revoke any authority they may have given for individual employment; and in this case the only alternative to attaching special conditions to the new authority would have been to revoke the authority altogether and recall him to the work centre.
§ Mr. SNOWDENIs it not a fact that before this lad was permitted to take up this work the committee made full inquiries, and will he say in what particulars it was afterwards discovered that misrepresentations had been made as to the nature of the work in which the lad was to engage; and is it not a fact that the Home Office Committee took action through representations that were made from Aberdare by the political opponents of the lad's father?
§ Mr. BRACENo. In reply to the last part of the supplementary question, I do not think it would be accurate to say that the Home Office took action because of complaints of the political opponents of this lad's father. One of the reasons why the committee took action was that the application both of the lad and the company was of a disingenuous character.
§ Mr. SNOWDENWill the right hon. Gentleman explain how these facts cams to the knowledge of the Committee?