§ Mr. SHORTTasked the Secretary of State for War under what circumstances the local representative of the Board of Agriculture, in cases in which his appeal to the local Appeal Tribunal under the Military Service Act has been unsuccessful, is permitted to procure the exemption of men from service in the Army, and the reversal of the local Appeal Tribunal's decision by means of direct instructions from the War Office to the local recruiting officer, ordering that men whose cases have been decided by the tribunals appointed under the Act shall not be called up for service?
§ Mr. FORSTERWhere the Board of Agriculture consider that the food production of the country is endangered either by men being called to the Colours or by their continuing to serve with the Colours, arrangements are made whereby men either continue in the Reserve or are transferred thereto. Every case is carefully considered on its merits.
§ Mr. SHORTTasked the Secretary of State for War whether his attention has been drawn to the case of R. W. Maling, a gentleman farmer, of Beal, Northumberland, whose appeal for exemption from military service was refused by the local Appeal Tribunal; whether he can state in what circumstances instructions were subsequently sent from the War Office to the local recruiting officer ordering that this man should not be called up; whether he is aware that the reversal of the tribunal's decision by a secret procedure which renders nugatory the machinery and procedure established by Act of Parliament has occasioned dissatisfaction in the neighbourhood; and whether he is aware that 49W the local military representative has resigned his office on the ground that he is unable to perform his duty in the case of poor and uninfluential persons if it is open to rich and influential persons to procure by secret procedure a reversal of the tribunal's decisions?
§ Mr. FORSTERThis case was brought to my notice by the Board of Agriculture. Mr. Maling was farming a large arable farm which needed supervision. The only person other than Mr. R W. Maling who could give such supervision was his brother, who lived some ten miles away. The farm was understaffed. The Department concerned has no information as to whether those for whom the Board of Agriculture make application are rich and influential or the reverse.