§ Sir JOHN BUTCHERasked the President of the Local Government Board whether any decision has been arrived at for extending the existing power to 641W exempt from military service the last surviving son of a widow, so as to give power to exempt the last surviving adult son of a widow or of a woman whose husband is a prisoner of war when at least one son has been killed or has died as a result of service?
Mr. FISHERThe restriction as to the last surviving son of a widow applies only to men who come under the recent Proclamations. I understand that it is not proposed to alter the terms of these Proclamations; but that the Minister of National Service has given discretion to the regional directors of National Service to give administrative protection in exceptional cases of grave domestic hardship outside the strict limits of the Proclamation.