§ Mr. A. SHAWasked the Secretary of State for War whether he is aware of the 264W hardship involved in the case of men who have been imprisoned for military offences, in that their discharge certificates are crossed in red type with a caution relating to men discharged from the Army with disgrace; whether this form of certificate renders it impossible for such men to obtain employment; whether such men are deprived of war gratuity and are left without means of subsistence; and whether he will consider sympathetically cases of special hardship brought to his notice?
§ Mr. CHURCHILLIn accordance with King's Regulations, paragraph 415, soldiers who are discharged in consequence of court-martial sentences are provided with a discharge certificate on Army Form B. 264. It is true that this discharge certificate contains a caution to the man against attempting to re-enlist by concealing the circumstances of his discharge. Men so discharged are not deprived of their war gratuity if they have already received it: but if they have not received it they are ineligible. As the cause of discharge is also shown on the certificate, the presence of this caution (to the man) does not affect its value.