§ Mr. R. LAMBERTasked the Under-Secretary of State for War whether he will state the number to date, 1st March, 1917, of conscientious objectors who have been released from prison or detention on grounds of health; what were the conditions of their release; and what number, if any, have been discharged from the Army?
§ Mr. MACPHERSONThe answer to the first part of the question is sixteen; to the second part that the release was absolute; and to the third part, fourteen.
§ Mr. OUTHWAITEasked the Under-Secretary of State for War whether he 737W will state the number to date, 1st March, 1917, of conscientious objectors who have been arrested and handed over to the military authorities?
§ Mr. MACPHERSONThe War Office has no statistics available.
§ Mr. OUTHWAITEasked the Under Secretary of State for War whether he will state the number to date, 1st March, 1917, of conscientious objectors arrested and handed over to the military who have thenceforward been obeying orders in the Army?
§ Mr. MACPHERSONThe War Office has no statistics available.
§ Mr. OUTHWAITEasked the Under-Secretary of State for War whether he will state the number to date, 1st March, 1917, of conscientious objectors arrested and handed over to the military who have been court-martialled and sentenced to imprisonment in civil prison or in military detention barracks, respectvely, for refusal to obey military orders?
§ Mr. MACPHERSONI understand that the number is about 3,500.
§ Mr. OUTHWAITEasked the Under-Secretary of State for War whether he will state the number to date, 1st March, 1917, of conscientious objectors who after court-martial and imprisonement or detention are now obeying orders in the Army?
§ Mr. MACPHERSONThe War Office has no statistics available.
§ Mr. JOWETTasked the Under-Secretary of State for War whether he will state the number to date, 1st March, 1917, of conscientious objectors recommended by the Central Tribunal for transference from prison or detention barracks to the Friends' Ambulance Unit, and of these the number who have accepted work in the unit and who have refused work in the unit, respectively?
§ Mr. HAYES FISHERThe function of the Central Tribunal in these cases is to report on the conscientious objection of the men. They do not decide the work on which the men shall be employed. The Home Office Committee decide this in the case of men who have been in prison or detention barracks and have been found by the tribunal to have a genuine conscientious objection, and I understand738W that it is not the practice of that Committee to refer such men to the Friends' Ambulance Unit for employment.
§ Mr. OUTHWAITEasked the Under-Secretary of State for War (1) if he will state the number to date, 1st March, 1917, of conscientious objectors court-martialled and sentenced to imprisonment or detention whose cases have not yet been revised by the Central Tribunal; and (2) whether he will state the number to date, 1st March, 1917, of conscientious objectors court-martialled and sentenced to imprisonment or detention whose cases have been revised by the Central Tribunal?
§ Mr. HAYES FISHERUp to the 3rd inst. the number of conscientious objectors who had been court-martialled and sentenced to imprisonment and whose cases had been notified to the Central Tribunal but had not been investigated was 342; the number of men whose cases had been investigated was 2,856.
§ Mr. JOYNSON-HICKSasked what are the exact rations in meat, bread, and sugar for the conscientious objectors to be shortly sent to Dartmoor?
§ Sir G. CAVEThe daily amounts of meat and bread to be issued to the conscientious objectors at Dartmoor are as follows: Meat, 6 ozs.; bread, 9 ozs. Vegetarians will be allowed 5 ozs. of bread per day extra. The amount of sugar issued will not exceed 12 ozs. per man per week.
§ Mr. MORGANasked the Under-Secretary of State for War whether his attention has been called to the case of Stanley Hall, a conscientious objector, who is now at Dartmoor Prison, and who, before joining the Army, cultivated a small farm near Truro, which farm is now derelict; and whether he will consider the advisability of sending this man to till his own farm under the supervision of the local war agricultural committee or under the supervision of some local military authority?
§ Sir G. CAVEMy hon. Friend has asked me to reply to this question. The Committee on the Employment of Conscientious Objectors have authorised the transfer of this man from the Warwick work centre to the new work centre at Dartmoor, where he can be employed in agricultural work. They do not consider that they would be justified in authorising him to return to work on his own farm.