§ Mr. W. THORNEasked the Under-Secretary of State for War whether his attention has been called to a speech made by the chairman of the Marylebone Tribunal under the Military Service Act, 1916, on or about the 18th instant, to the effect that he considered it proper for lawyers' clerks to be considered as in a reserved occupation, and to the action of the tribunal in allowing considerable postponement of service to an applicant solely because of such occupation; if he will state whether the Army Council have decided that lawyers and lawyers' clerks are in necessary occupations carried on for the benefit of the country during the War period; and what instructions have been given to tribunals on the matter, if any?
§ Mr. TENNANTMy attention has not been called to the speech referred to by the hon. Member. Lawyers and lawyers' clerks, as such, are not in an occupation certified under the Act, and no special instructions have been given to the tribunals in dealing with them. Lawyers and their clerks should be dealt with by the local tribunals in exactly the same way as any other class of applicants.