§ Mr. HOGGEasked the Secretary of State for War whether he could inform the House as to what is the exact meaning of the instruction issued by the War Office to recruiting officers in connection with the re-examination of men formerly found to be medically unfit, more especially the provision in that instruction which says that men concerning whom the recruiting officer is satisfied that there is no possible doubt will not be summoned for medical re-examination?
§ Mr. LLOYD GEORGEThe provision about which the hon. Member specially desires information is to be read in connection with another paragraph of the instruction, which lays down that powers of re-examination conferred upon the Army Council by Military Service Act, 1916, Session 2, must be exercised with discretion. This may be taken as meaning that any recruiting officer who has sent a notice summoning a man who was formerly rejected would be entitled, in the event of the production of satisfactory documentary evidence, which need not necessarily be a medical board certificate, to cancel the notice and end the matter entirely, and recruiting officers have been instructed to proceed on these lines. In connection with such documentary evidence there would be no absolute need for the individual to attend the recruiting office in person, it being open to him to send516W through the post, preferably under registered cover, any documents which he possesses. It would, of course, in the majority of cases, be wiser for the individual concerned to call at the office and to add his personal explanations to the documents which were in his possession. In many cases this might enable the recruiting officer to satisfy himself that the individual to whom the documents related was, in fact, the individual who produced them. It has to be remembered that there are, throughout the country, an appreciable number of persons improperly in possession of rejection certificates, and the work of the recruiting officer in connection with such persons is of extreme difficulty. There seems to be some misunderstanding in the mind of the hon. Member, who appears to believe that every man who receives a notice summoning him for reexamination medically, is necessarily to be called to the Colours for service. Such is, in fact, not the case. Many of those who have already presented themselves voluntarily for re-examination have been again rejected and are thus in no danger of further disturbance. It is to be hoped that the men concerned will recognise that by co-operating with the recruiting officers in their difficult work a great deal of unnecessary friction will be prevented.