§ 26. Sir Robert Youngasked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether he is aware that accepted applicants for service in the Women's Royal Naval Service have to wait months for a medical examination; that this long wait is a waste of time and service to the war effort when some of these accepted applicants are turned down as not up to the medical standard required for this corps; and will he take steps to have the medical examinations carried out within a short period of the girl's application and thus obviate disappointment and delay of enrolment in some other service?
§ Mr. George HallApplicants for service in the W.R.N.S. undergo a medical examination which is carried out by civilian medical boards under the Ministry of Labour and National Service. These boards meet only at certain centres and only when there are sufficient candidates for interview and medical examination to justify their meeting. This means that there are occasionally unavoidable delays between the date on which the candidate is reported as available by the Ministry and the date of her being interviewed and medically examined. Generally speaking, however, the interval is a matter of days only.
§ Sir R. YoungIs my right hon. Friend aware that in this particular case the girl was kept waiting for 11 months between the date of her application and acceptance and her medical examination?
§ Mr. HallThere is no reason for such a very long delay as that, because the boards meet at an interval of a few weeks. If my hon, Friend will give me particulars of the case, I will look into it.
§ Mr. McKinlayIs my right hon. Friend aware that a girl was taken from the Island of Bute to Liverpool for an examination, was rejected and had to find her own way back home?