Mr. EMUND HARVEYasked the Home Secretary whether Mr. Albert Taylor, late Parliamentary candidate for the Rossendale Division, has recently served his first sentence in Wormwood Scrubbs Prison, during which he has been for 111 days on punishment diet, in strict cellular confinement, and for about half of that period without a bed; whether this punishment, as a consequence of his resistance to the Military Service Act and refusal to undertake the prison tasks allotted him under it, has been detrimental to his health; and whether it is proposed to continue this method of punishment indefinitely?
§ Mr. BRACEThis man has been punished in the appropriate way for refusing to work in prison. Care is taken to make sure that prison punishments are not such as to cause injury to health, and in this instance the prisoner gained in weight while he was in prison. He has now been discharged. If he should again be convicted and committed to prison, refusal to work will entail punishment in accordance with the prison rules.
Mr. HARVEYasked the Home Secretary whether Dr. J. C. M'Callum, a graduate of Edinburgh University, medallist and holder of the Monat scholarship, executive tuberculosis officer for the county of Argyll, holding the diploma of public health, and having specialised in the treatment of tuberculosis, has been employed by the Home Office Committee on Employment of Conscientious Objectors, first at Wakefield and then as a labourer in the manufacture of manure for Messrs. Rough and Sons, Broxburn, Edinburgh; whether, in consequence of a breach of workshop discipline. 1149W this employment has been terminated; and whether, in the national interest, he will consider the possibility of employing this specialist on public health work under whatever financial conditions the Committee's regulations impose instead of on work for which he is not fitted or instead of sending him back to court-martial and prison?
§ Mr. BRACEJohn M'Callum has been employed as stated. His employment has been terminated, not for one, but for several breaches of discipline. The Committee on the Employment of Conscientious Objectors have recommended his recall to the Army, and the case is now out of their hands. Dr. M'Callum has never applied to the Committee to be released in order to take up employment as a doctor, but he and members of his family have made applications for him to be allowed to do ploughing and similar work for relatives.
§ Sir W. BYLESasked whether Emanuel Ribiero, a conscientious objector, belonging to North Salford, is still at Lord Derby's war hospital at Winwick, near Warrington; whether he is still hunger-striking and being forcibly fed; whether he describes the process as slow mental and physical torture likely to end in his death or loss of reason; whether he is still confined to one room and denied visitors, or reading, or correspondence; whether he has suffered this discipline for five months; and whether the sole reason is that he is a genuine conscientious objector to taking the life of his fellow man, and is entitled to complete exemption provided under the Military Service Act?
§ Mr. MACPHERSONI have made further telegraphic inquiries about this case, and will let my hon. Friend know as soon as possible.
§ Mr. TREVELYANasked the Undersecretary of State for War whether he can yet give a reply as to what has happened to the conscientious objectors sent out to France several weeks ago?
§ Mr. MACPHERSONOf the five conscientious objectors belonging to labour units who were sent to France, four Lave since been returned to this country under the provisions of Army Order No. X.,1916, of the 25th May. The fifth is performing his duties satisfactorily, and has not in consequence received any punishment.
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§ Mr. TREVELYANasked the Undersecretary of State for War whether he is aware that in the case of five conscientious objectors, Garland, Middleton, Price, Keighley, and Davies, in the 3rd Manchester Regiment, court-martial proceedings were quashed and a series of detention sentences passed on the men, they were then transferred from E Company, which was not going to France, to G Company, which was going; whether they have now been sent to France; and, if so, what steps he proposes to take to fulfil the promise of the late Prime Minister that no soldier should be sent to France who there was good reason to-believe was a conscientious objector?
§ Mr. MACPHERSONI have called for a report, and will write to my hon. Friend as soon as I am in a position to do so.
§ Mr. MORRELLasked the Under-Secretary of State for War whether a sentence of two years' hard labour has recently-been passed upon Mr. Clifford Allen in consequence of his refusing to obey military orders; whether he is aware that the refusal was due to a conscientious objection to military service; and if he will say what previous punishment this man has already undergone in respect of a similar offence?
§ Mr. MACPHERSONThe answer to-the first and second parts of the question is in the affirmative. He was previously sentenced first to one year's hard labour, of which he actually served eighty-eight days, and again to one year's hard labour, of which he only served 147 days.