§ Mr. SNOWDENasked the Secretary of State for War if Mr. T. S. Overbury, a conscientious objector, is now in close confinement at West Hartlepool under the officer commanding the 4th West Yorks Regiment; whether he has persistently refused food since his arrest on 30th September; and, if so, what action he proposes to take in the case?
§ Mr. FORSTERI do not think that any special action is necessary in this case. If the facts be as stated, I have no doubt but that his condition has formed the subject of attention at the hands of the medical authorities.
§ Mr. ROWNTREEasked the Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department how many conscientious objectors to military servise who were in prison or under military detention have up to now 403W been examined by the Central Tribunal and have accepted work under the Home Office Committee; to what localities they have been sent; and what is the nature of the work given them to do, the hours of work, the housing accommodation, the pay or other allowances, and the detailed character of the regulations imposed upon them?
§ Mr. BRACEThe number of men of the class referred to who, having been examined by the Central Tribunal and referred by the tribunal to the Home Office Committee, are now actually at work is 1,037. In addition to these there are approximately 300 men on furlough whose sentences of imprisonment expired before they were examined by the tribunal, or before work could be provided for them by the Committee. All these men have now been referred by the tribunal to the Committee, but it has not yet been ascertained whether all of them will accept work under the Committee. The 1,037 men referred to above are distributed as follows:—
Employed on the repair and reconstruction of roads under the Road Board: At Clare 50 At Newhaven 164 At Dyce 252 At Kinlochleven 53 Employed on the repair and construction of waterworks under the Llanelly Rural District Council, near Llanelly 118 Employed on wood-cutting under the Home-Grown Timber Committee: At Weston-super-Mare 32 At Newport 20 At Wigtown 20 Employed on various forms of manual labour at Work Centres established by the Committee: At Wakefield 123 At Warwick 205 1,037 Their hours of work in no case exceed those obtaining in the district for similar classes of labour. The great majority of the men are housed in buildings or huts, and all of them will be so housed in the course of the next few days. The pay is 8d. a day, food, clothing, lodging and medical attendance being provided. Separation allowances at Army rates are granted where it appears to be necessary or proper to do so, 404W a deduction from the men's pay up to a maximum of 6d. being made in all such cases. The regulations made by the Committee vary in accordance with local circumstances, but generally speaking are only such as to secure the well-being and reasonable discipline and industry of the men under their control, without unduly restricting their liberty.
§ Mr. ROWNTREEasked the Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many prisoners have been examined by the Central Tribunal and, after establishing the genuineness of their conscientious objection to military service, have been offered and declined to accept work under the Home Office Committee; and what is the exact nature of the punishment to which these men are to be subjected?
§ Mr. BRACEThe number of prisoners who, having been examined by the Central Tribunal and referred by the tribunal to the Home Office Committee, have been offered work by the Committee and have declined to accept it is 214. The fact of their refusal to accept the work offered to them by the Committee does not render these men liable to the imposition of any punishment. They remain in prison until the expiration of the sentences they are serving and are then returned to their units; but it is open to them at any time, either during or after the expiration of their sentences, to withdraw their refusal and to apply to the Committee to be given work.