§ Mr. WATERSONasked the Secretary of State for Air whether his attention has been called to a letter, dated 18th January, 1922, issued from the recruiting depot at Bristol and signed by Flying-officer S. Barnes, of the Royal Air Force, in which it is definitely stated and declared that vaccination is compulsory upon enlistment and every seven years afterwards; and, seeing that such is contradictory to previous statements, will he now declare what is the position adopted by his Department on the subject of vaccination and its compulsory application?
Captain GUESTOwing to the closing of the Bristol Recruiting Depot on 25th March last and the destruction (to avoid transport expense) of all routine correspondence, no office copy of the letter referred to is available, and I would be obliged if the hon. Member would send me the letter or a copy. The Recruiting Officer cannot remember having signed such a letter. The position in regard to vaccination is as stated in my reply to the hon. Member for the Leek Division of Stafford on 9th May.