§ Mr. KINGasked (1) the Under-Secretary of State for War whether he will 1986W consider the case of two brothers, Private Henry Solomon, TR/4/12369, 60th Training Reserve, South Wales Borderers, and Private Sidney Solomon, TR/4/12368, 60th Training Reserve, South Wales Borderers, who, in obedience to a solemn oath to a dying father, have refused military service and been three times courts martialled; whether he is aware that they have long been willing to undertake national service under the Home Office scheme but that their loyal devotion to their dead father's command has been held to debar them from the offer of national service; and whether the Army Council will now consent to their being referred again to the tribunal with a view to their accepting national service; and (2) the Minister of National Service, whether he is aware that Henry Solomon, TR/4/12369, 60th Training Reserve South Wales Borderers, and Sidney Solomon, TR/4/12368, 60th Training Reserve South Wales Borderers, are two brothers, whose father, since deceased, bound them to swear that they would not bear arms; that in consequence they have refused combatant service but have always been willing to do any work of national importance, and that their tribunal has stated that it is ready to reconsider their cases with a view to their doing useful work; and whether, seeing that they have been refused work under the Home Office or any alternative but prison, it is the policy of the Government to keep men in useless employment even though the men themselves and their tribunals wish them to do work of national importance?
§ Mr. MACPHERSONAs stated in the question, these two men have been court-martialled three times, but I am not aware of the motives which actuated their disobedience. I understand that their cases have been considered by the Central Tribunal, who decided that they could not be regarded as genuine conscientious objectors. The answer to the last part of the first question is in the negative.