§ Mr. SNOWDENasked if the Army Council will order the release for civil work of national importance of Ernest Flint, a conscientious objector, of Blackburn, who is now in the detention camp at Kinmel Park awaiting court-martial, seeing that this man has in many ways proved his conscientious objection to military service to be genuine, having given up his employment as an engineer at the place where he worked immediately it became a controlled establishment, forfeiting his trade union unemployment benefit for four months?
§ Mr. TENNANTMy hon. Friend has presumably acquainted himself with what my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister stated on the 29th June, and if he has done that he will see that the answer to this question is in the negative.
§ Sir S. COLLINSasked the Under-Secretary of State for War if he is aware that at Shaft Barracks, Dover, on 24th May, Percy H. P. Larkman and Robert Miller, conscientious objectors, were severely punched on the head and face by Sergeant Puttock, after which they were handcuffed, a pack of about 20 lbs. weight put upon them, their hands fastened to an iron rod above their heads, so that they were obliged to stand on tiptoe a great part of the time, and left in this condition for about forty-five minutes; if he will endeavour to put a stop to such forms of punishment; and what steps he proposes to take?
§ Mr. TENNANTInquiry is being made into these allegations, but in the meantime I must not be taken as accepting them as correct.