HC Deb 03 August 1916 vol 85 cc516-7W
Mr. JOWETT

asked the President of the Local Government Board if the employer of an unattested workman engaged in a certified occupation is, under penalty, obliged to report to the recruiting officer that he is employing the workman in question; if his attention has been called to the conduct of Captain Burton, the recruiting officer at Bradford, in stating to unattested men engaged in certified occupations and to a trade union secretary, who interviewed him on behalf of one of his members, who is an unattested workman in a certified occupation and who, furthermore, is a married man with a family of five children under thirteen years of age, that no man who has not voluntarily attested is in a certified occupation and that paragraph I. of B. 91, List of Certified Occupations, does not apply to men who have not voluntarily attested; and whether, having regard to the fact that Captain Burton has repeatedly made this statement and that employers and workmen alike are being consequently misled, he will say publicly whether Captain Burton's reading of paragraph I. of R. 94 is correct?

Mr. FORSTER

An employer is required under penalties, to keep a list giving particulars of every male person of military age in his employment, and this list must at all reasonable hours be open for inspection by a recruiting officer. An inquiry will be made as to the statements alleged to have been made by Captain Burton. The list of certified occupations R.94 applies to both attested and unattested men, but a man is not exempted from military service by reason only that his occupation is certified, since he is required to obtain an individual certificate, as provided in the Regulations and Instructions.