§ Mr. C. DUNCANasked the Under-Secretary of State for War whether he is aware that men claiming to be over military age are being ordered by the military representatives to produce their birth certificates; that in a number of cases copies of the certificates have to be obtained from the registrar at a cost of 3s. 7d.; and whether, in view of the fact that the production of the birth certificate 2246W is a military and not a personal requirement, arrangements will be made for the certificates to be supplied free of cost.
§ Sir AUCKLAND GEDDESMy hon. Friend has asked me to reply. In view of the hardship and expense imposed upon certain men called upon to produce birth certificates for the purpose of verifying their age in questions of liability to military service, instructions were issued in September, 1917, that where a man claims to be excepted from military service on the ground of age and is required to produce a birth certificate to prove his claim, the cost of the certificate is to be refunded by the recruiting officer if the man proves that he is in fact excepted from liability on account of his age. This applies to all such cases except where a man has given such information on registration as, if correct, would bring him within the scope of the Military Service Acts, or where the man is required to produce evidence of the date of his birth in order that he may be posted to a particular corps of his own choice, or where the birth certificate had not to be procured by the man especially for recruiting purposes.