§ Mr. ANDERSONasked the Prime Minister whether he is aware that arrangements have been completed between the War Council, the Ministry of Munitions, and the Employment Exchanges by which men of a medical classification too low for effective Army purposes, instead of being exempted or returned to civil life, will be entered at the Employment Exchanges in connection with the scheme of substitution; whether he is aware that such a man will be asked to enter a contract that he will remain in the employment of any firm of employers to which he is assigned by the Ministry of Munitions and for any period during the War, and that he will be liable to be returned to military service should this firm cease to employ him; whether he is aware that a member of the Shoreditch Tribunal, where this scheme was explained by the military representative, said it was industrial conscription but a good arrangement; and whether, having regard to his pledges in this House that the Military Service Acts should not be used, and should not be capable of being used, for any purpose of industrial conscription, he will say what action he proposes to take in the matter?
§ Mr. BONAR LAW(for the Prime Minister): I am aware of the arrangements referred to by my hon. Friend which have been made between the War Office and the Ministry of Munitions in consultation with the Labour Adviser, whereby men of certain categories, liable to military service, may sign an undertaking with the Minister of Munitions to work upon munitions in any establishment to which they may be assigned. Entrance upon the undertaking is, of course, entirely voluntary, and any man assigned to munitions work under the terms of the undertaking will work under ordinary civilian conditions in all respects, including pay. With regard to the second part of the question, 606W I must point out that under this scheme men are not tied to any particular firm. They would only be liable again for military service if the Ministry of Munitions found that they could not usefully continue to employ these men in industry, or if the men were ordered by the competent military authority to report for service with the Colours, which would only occur in case of grave national emergency. With regard to the third part of the question my attention has not been called to the statement attributed to a member of the Shoreditch Tribunal, which the answers to the first two parts of this question showed to be incorrect. The last part of the question does not arise.