§ Mr. ROWNTREEasked the Under-Secretary of State if he will say how many conscientious objectors willing to do work of national importance are now working at Dartmoor, and what is the character of the work they are doing; how many he eventually expects to place there; and whether all men who have expressed themselves as willing to do work of national importance and have been passed by the Central Tribunal as genuine cases have now been released from prison and are engaged upon such work?
§ Mr. BRACEThe number of conscientious objectors now employed at Dartmoor is 582, and as regards the nature of the work on which they are employed I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for Enfield on the 22nd instant. There is accommodation at the Dartmoor Work Centre for 1,200 men. All the men referred to in the last part of the question have been released for employment on work of national importance under the Committee on the Employment of Conscientious Objectors except twenty-five, whose names have only been received from the tribunal within the last few days.
§ Mr. ROWNTREEasked the Under-Secretary of State if he will give particulars of the various places where conscientious objectors willing to undertake work of national importance are now situated, the approximate number at each place, and the character of the work upon which they are engaged; and whether, in view of the opening of work at Dartmoor, he is expecting to close down some of these places?
§ Mr. BRACEI shall be happy to send the hon. Member a summary of the information asked for in the first part of the question. In reply to the latter part, it is proposed shortly to close the work centre at Warwick.
§ Major HENRY TERRELLasked the Home Secretary whether any record is kept showing the value of the work done 439W by conscientious objectors or from which an estimate of the value of such work can be made; and how does the value of such work compare with the cost incurred in maintaining and otherwise in connection with conscientious objectors?
§ Sir G. CAVEThe value of the work done by these men varies considerably according to the nature and conditions of the work, but generally speaking it is considerably less than the cost of maintaining the men. I am glad to say, however, that owing to the stricter discipline now exercised by the Committee on Employment of Conscientious Objectors, there has recently been a slight improvement in the value of the work.