HC Deb 14 December 1916 vol 88 cc886-7W
Sir J. D. REES

asked the Financial Secretary to the War Office whether Mr. C. B. Andrews, of East Sheen, has been finally rejected for military service; whether he first applied for, and was refused, exemption by the Mortlake and Barnes Tribunal as a conscientious objector; whether the Surrey County Tribunal and the Central Tribunal dismissed his appeal from the local tribunal's finding; whether he was, nevertheless, subsequently exempted on the ground, first, that he was suffering from agoraphobia and dreaded to appear before a military board and subsequently on the ground that his agoraphobism amounts to unsound mind not certifiable; whether Mr. Andrews was ever suspected of acute agoraphobia amounting to non-certifiable insanity until he had been refused exemption as a conscientious objector; whether the certificate of the local principal medical officer excusing Mr. Andrews from appearing before a local board was found to be unsustainable and was cancelled; whether the subsequent certificate of non-certifiable insanity is to pass unchallenged; and whether any precedent exists exempting in this manner and upon such grounds a strong man of thirty-one years of age?

Mr. FORSTER

Instructions were sent by the War Office in September last that C. B. Andrews was to be called up. I am informed that he was accordingly called up, and was specially examined by each member of the medical board separately. It was found that he was unfit for any form of military service, and he was accordingly rejected.