§ Mr. C. Wilsonasked the Secretary of State for War whether he can state for each of the last four years the number of applicants for enlistment under 18 years of age whose application was without their parents' consent; in how many of these cases was application made for release on compassionate grounds or on other grounds, respectively; in how many cases was release granted without purchase; in how many cases was release purchased; and in how many cases was the applicant finally approved with the parents' consent?
§ Mr. Hore-BelishaI regret that I am unable to furnish the information asked for as I have no means of knowing the annual numbers of applicants for enlistment as men who were in fact under 18 years of age. The number of soldiers discharged from the Regular Army on account of having made a mis-statement620W as to age on enlistment during the last four years were:
I am unable to say in how many of these cases compassionate grounds existed.
1937–38 … … … 545 1936–37 … … … 521 1935–36 … … … 431 1934–35 … … … 278 The numbers of recruits who purchased their discharge within three months of enlistment during the last four years were:
I am unable to say how many of these were under 18 years of age.
1937–38 … … … 356 1936–37 … … … 281 1935–36 … … … 299 1934–35 … … … 318