29. Mr. Vaneasked the Secretary of State for War whether he will give an assurance that Reservists called up will be subject to individual medical examination before posting to units.
§ Mr. M. StewartAll Reservists who are called up will be given a complete medical examination at their place of joining as soon as possible after they report for service. In certain cases they are recalled direct to their units.
Mr. VaneWill the hon. Gentleman answer the particular point in my Question? Are these medical examinations indeed individual and not like the circumstances of the case about which we have corresponded?
§ Mr. StewartI am not quite sure what the hon. Member means by "individual." Every man, when he reports to his depôt or unit, is medically examined as soon as possible after he has reported.
Mr. VaneI thought that "individual" meant one at a time and not in a bunch, to avoid circumstances in which a person unfit for military service might be overlooked.
§ Mr. StewartThat is the regular practice.
§ Mr. JannerMay I ask whether the answer of my hon. Friend means that a man will be examined in his own town, in which he is living, because, as my hon. Friend is aware, there may be very considerable hardships to a man when he is taken away from his town.
§ Mr. StewartNo, Sir; he will be examined at his place of joining.
§ Mr. FernyhoughCan my hon. Friend assure the House that, in view of the decline in manpower in the coal mines, no further miners will be called up?
§ Mr. StewartThat is another question.
§ Mr. JannerArising out of my hon. Friend's reply to my supplementary question, will he reconsider the matter, because there are many cases in which people are seriously ill and it is quite ridiculous to ask them to go away from their home town? Will he please find out whether it would be possible for them to be examined in their own town?
§ Mr. StewartIf a man is seriously ill at the time of his recall, that case can, of course, be examined on its merits.