Sir F. HALLasked the Prime Minister whether officers and men of the Royal Army Medical Corps who served on hospital ships in the early days of the War have been or will be awarded the 1914–15 medal, while the officers and men of the Mercantile Marine who were serving on the same vessels and at the same time have been refused the decoration; if he will state the conditions that prevail which permit the award being given to one class and not to others who carried out precisely the same work; and whether, in consequence of this anomaly, he will undertake that the decoration shall be awarded to the officers and men of the Mercantile Marine who were engaged on this work?
§ Dr. MACNAMARAI have been asked to reply. I would refer my hon. and gallant Friend to the answer given on Thursday last to the hon. Member for Barrow-in-Furness, in which it was explained that the award of the 1914–15 Star is confined to the Naval and Military Forces of the Crown, and the Admiralty are not prepared to recommend its ex-396W tension to persons who did not form part of those forces. It is realised that in some cases this may lead to anomalies, but the anomalies arising from this cause are not considered to be nearly so great as those which would be involved by a departure from the principles laid down.