§ Colonel DAYasked the Secretary of State for War whether men in regiments other than the Guards are allowed to act as supers; and whether, in view of the large volume of unemployment prevailing among theatrical employés who in normal times earn their livelihood by acting as supers, he will withdraw the permission granted to Guardsmen to accept engagements in the theatres of London, and issue instructions that officers and men serving in the Army shall not accept other employment to the prejudice of the civilian population?
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§ Sir L. WORTHINGTON-EVANSGuardsmen enjoy no special privileges in this matter, but I am not aware of any case of soldiers being employed as supers except at Covent Garden, where by long established custom Guardsmen are employed as supers from time to time during the opera season. I have made inquiries regarding the employment of these Guardsmen at Covent Garden and, as I have already informed the hon. Member privately, I do not think that, having regard to the intermittent nature of the work, they are keeping civilians out of employment. With regard to the last part of the question, I am not prepared to issue any general prohibition, but soldiers are not allowed to accept outside employment which interferes with their military duties or if there are civilians suitable and ready to take it who would thereby be kept out of employment.