§ Mr. Fletcher-Cookeasked the Minister of Labour if he will make a further statement in relation to the postponement of call-up of married men with families.
Mr. kin MacleodA man cannot have his call-up postponed solely because he is a married man and has children, but it would be postponed if it were shown that his enlistment would cause exceptional hardship to his family. Two years ago I sent special instructions to my officers to consider with the fullest sympathy certain types of case where experience has shown that exceptional hardship is likely to arise from call-up and alternative arrangements are often most difficult to make. These were the cases of the man with a relative physically dependent on him, the man who is the mainstay of an orphaned family, the widower or separated husband with a child or children to look after and the man who is the only adult living with a widowed mother. I have now instructed my officers to give the same special consideration to applications for postponement from married men with families where there are difficult home circumstances.