§ Mr. GILBERTasked the Under-Secretary of State for War whether Private W. J. Offord, No. 187819, 379th Labour Company, joined the Army on 17th January, 1917, aged eighteen and a-half years, Category B2; whether he has been in hospital since 12th May, 1917, suffering from hydrocele, probably tuberculosis; and why this man is still retained in the Army and not discharged?
§ Mr. MACPHERSONInquiries are being made, and I will inform my hon. Friend of the result in due course.
Mr. CHANCELLORasked the Under-Secretary of State for War whether he is aware that Private Alfred Trobridge, No. 127870, Royal Field Artillery, 1st Reserve Battery, Newcastle-on-Tyne, joined this unit as a volunteer, was transferred to Class C3 at Norwich, and then liberated as an R. C. man for war work; that he was recently called up for medical examination at Fort George in error, classed A1, and on transfer to his proper unit was forcibly inoculated in Newcastle-upon-Tyne Barracks on the 19th instant in spite of his protests; whether he will take immediate steps to inform the commanding officer at Newcastle Barracks of the repeatedly admitted rights of soldiers to decline inoculation, and instruct him that no pressure to submit should be brought to bear upon them; and whether he will inquire the grounds on which the said volunteer was transferred to the higher class, and take steps to have the medical classification of this soldier revised?
§ Mr. MACPHERSONI am making inquiries, and will inform my hon. Friend of the result as soon as possible.