HC Deb 07 July 1920 vol 131 c1463W
Mr. MOSLEY

asked the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies whether the Overseas Settlement Committee has decided that men who served in the British Red Cross Society, and have received badges from the War Office for services rendered in His Majesty's forces, are ineligible for free vouchers overseas on the grounds that they have performed no service; and whether he will inquire into this decision, in view of the fact that women who served in the same corps are allowed these vouchers?

Lieut.-Colonel AMERY

The Government's free passage scheme applies to what are briefly described as ex-Service men and ex-Service women. In settling the definition of ex-Service men it was decided that the criterion shall be enlistment in His Majesty's Forces, but in the case of women it was decided that a more suitable criterion was enrolment in a recognised women's corps. This would include among those eligible for free passages women enrolled in the V.A.D. who were under contract to the British Red Cross and Order of St. John of Jerusalem Joint War Committee, but not men serving with the British Red Cross.