§ 1. Mr. Rhys Daviesasked the Minister of Labour how many ballottees have refused to enter the coalmining industry; how many have been prosecuted for refusing; and how many of them have been imprisoned.
§ The Minister of Labour (Mr. Ernest Bevin)I have no exact figure of the number of ballottees who have refused to enter coal-mining. Up to 31st May, there had been 285 failures to comply with directions to undergo training, but this total, no doubt, included a certain number of cases in which there were good reasons, such as sickness, for not complying immediately. Up to the same date, 135 ballottees had been prosecuted for failing to comply with directions either to coalmining training or to a working colliery. Of these, 32 were sentenced to imprisonment, but within a few days 19 of these were released, on promising to comply with their directions.
§ Mr. Rhys DaviesIn view of the reluctance of some courts to convict in cases like this, because the boys prefer to enter the Forces rather than the mines, and in view also of the fact that the High Court of Justice in New Zealand has recently decided that compulsions like this are akin to the serfdom of the Middle Ages, will not my right hon. Friend reconsider his policy?
§ Sir Herbert WilliamsHas the right hon. Gentleman completed his inquiries into the case of my constituent who wanted to go coalmining when directed, but was arrested by the Secretary of State for War?
§ Mr. George GriffithsDoes my right hon. Friend know how many young men there are in the mines who desired to go into the Forces but were not allowed to go?