§ 3. Lieutenant-Colonel Sir Thomas Mooreasked the Minister of Labour, the number of conscientious objectors of suitable age and physical fitness who have been directed to work in the coalmines?
§ Mr. BevinThe information desired is not available, but I would refer the hon. and gallant Member to the answers that I gave to the hon. Members for Tamworth (Sir J. Mellor) and Holland with Boston (Mr. Butcher) on 9th December, and to the hon. Member for Cambridge (Lieut.-Commander Tufnell) on 23rd September.
§ Sir T. MooreNot having those answers by me, I should like to ask the right hon. Gentleman whether it is his policy to direct these and suitable conscientious objectors to the mines before he directs our young and immature boys?
§ Mr. BevinNo, Sir. The point is that a conscientious objector has a right to go to a tribunal, and coalmining, like everything else, is one of the occupations to which it is open to the chairman to direct people. I cannot interfere with the process of the law.
§ Mr. LawsonDoes it not look from the figures as though practically everybody is directing conscientious objectors to mining?
§ Mr. BevinI think the miners are to be complimented on the way they have withstood the danger that other people want to avoid.