§ 21. Major Petoasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many boys directed to the mines have been sent to prison for refusing to take up that work; and whether in any of these cases hard labour has been imposed by the magistrates.
§ Mr. H. MorrisonOf the youths—nearly 16,000—picked by the ballot and directed to training for underground coal mining employment, 143 have been sentenced to imprisonment for failing to comply or for leaving their employment without the permission of the National Service Officer. In a number of these cases a sentence of imprisonment with hard labour was imposed.
§ Major PetoDoes not my right hon. Friend consider that it is a monstrous injustice to send youths of 18 through the rest of their lives with a stigma of prison on them when they wanted to fight for their country?
§ Mr. MorrisonIt is no use my hon. and gallant Friend getting cross with me. It is not a matter for me at all.
§ Mr. TinkerDoes not this Question convey to the House the hardship of the mines, and the necessity for something being done to improve the conditions?
§ Mr. MorrisonI want to keep out of a Debate on merits; that is not for my Department.
§ Mr. SpeakerHon. Members can either have fewer Questions and more supplementaries, or fewer supplementaries and more Questions.
§ Major PetoI am not satisfied with my right hon. Friend's reply, and I beg to give notice that I will raise the matter on the Adjournment at the earliest possible moment.