§ 1. General Sir George Jeffreysasked the Minister of Labour what steps are taken, under the National Service Acts, to deal with gypsies and other itinerant van dwellers; and how many gypsies have been made to do war work of any kind.
§ The Minister of Labour (Mr. Ernest Bevin)In addition to the normal arrangements for directing and following up cases of non-compliance with the requirements of the National Service Acts and the Registration for Employment Orders by 932 persons who frequently change their addresses, my Department has special arrangements for the immediate consideration of the cases of such persons if they are brought to notice by the police or through other channels. I regret that it is not possible to state how many gypsies or other itinerants have been called up to the Forces or placed in other forms of war work.
§ Sir G. JeffreysHas the attention of my right hon. Friend been directed to a very recent case in the vicinity of Alton, Hampshire, where, following a raid by the police on gypsy camps, no fewer than 22 absentees from the Army were discovered, some of whom at any rate had never joined although they should have done so?