§ Mr. JOHNasked the Under-Secretary of State for War if he is aware that Geldart and Stanley Brotherton, two young men residing at Gobowen, Shropshire, were called up for military service in September last; that they have since been sentenced by court-martial to imprisonment as conscientious objectors, sent to Wormwood Scrubs, later appeared before the Central Tribunal and were deemed genuine, and are now employed under the Home Office scheme at Ballachulish Road Board Camp; whether he is aware that these young men assisted their father as fanners, which the father is now unable to keep going, he being sixty-five years of age, and that, owing to the disabilities under which the work is carried on, one cow and one yearling have since been lost and two mares have cast their foals, and that the parents are now in actual need, having had no allowance in respect of their sons; and whether he will consider the desirability, in the interest of the national food supply, of these young men being returned to their work on the farm?
§ Mr. BRACEMy hon. Friend has asked me to answer this question. These two men, having been found by the Central Tribunal to have a conscientious objection to military service, were offered and accepted employment under the Committee on the Employment of Conscientious Objectors. Stanley Brotherton, who is a baker, is employed at the Road Board Camp at Ballachulish, and Gildart Brother-ton, who is a farmer, is employed under the Manchester Foodstuffs Production Committee. Requests have been received that they should be sent to work on their 47W father's farm, but the Committee is precluded from allowing them to go home for this purpose. Instructions were given in January for the issue of a separation allowance to the parents, but owing to an oversight these instructions have not yet been acted upon. The separation allowance with arrears will be paid.
Mr. T. WILSONasked the Postmaster-General whether he is aware that skilled sorters and telegraphists holding a conscientious objection to military service upon agreeing before their tribunal to undertake work of national importance, that such tribunals have agreed to their remaining at their present occupations, conditional upon the Postmaster-General agreeing to such conditions; whether any objection to such arrangement has been offered by the Post Office authorities, and, if so, on what grounds; and, seeing that these men would render better service to the State on the national work on which they are skilled rather than by being sent to work settlements to perform work of less importance and of which they have no knowledge, will he state what action he proposes to take?
§ Mr. ILLINGWORTHNo objection has been raised by the Post Office to the retention on his ordinary duties of any regular Post Office servant who has been granted exemption from military service on conscientious grounds by a tribunal on condition that he is employed on work of national importance, provided that such a course meets with the approval of the tribunal.