§ Mr. CHURCHILLasked the Secretary of State for War whether his attention has been called to the proportion of leave granted to the men of the Royal Naval Division; whether there are many cases in which men of this division have not had home leave since they left for Gallipoli at the beginning of March, 1914; and whether he will endeavour to secure some mitigation of this exceptional hardship to officers and men as soon as the exigencies of the Service allow?
§ Mr. FORSTERThe Army Council do-not receive returns of the leave granted to the different divisions which are in the 609W field, but the circumstances of each division in this respect are, of course, known to the Commander-in-Chief, with whom the discretion of granting or withholding leave must necessarily rest, as he alone can be acquainted with the requirements of the military situation so far as they bear upon this matter at any particular moment. It is hoped the number of men going on leave may be increased, and any exceptional cases will no doubt be dealt with sympathetically by the Commander-in-Chief.