§ Mr. W. J. Brownasked the Secretary of State for War if he can make any statement as to the circumstances in which Major A. S. Hooper has been banned from lecturing to the British Army.
§ Sir J. GriggLecturers to the Forces are required to hold a certificate of employment issued by one of the Regional Committees of the Central Advisory Council for Adult Education in H.M. Forces and countersigned by the appropriate military authorities. The latter are invariably the military Command in which the particular Regional Committee is situated. All certificates are reviewed each year, and in a certain number of cases the military authorities give notice to the Regional Committees that they do not propose to renew the certificates. If the Regional Committee thinks this decision unjustified1144W in any particular case it may submit to the Army Commander evidence of the lecturer's suitability, and ask that the case may be reconsidered. The decision of the Army Commander on this request is final. In accordance with this practice all certificates of employment automatically expired on 31st August, 1943. As a result of the subsequent review, the London Regional Committee were informed on 10th September, 1943, that Major Hooper's certificate would not be renewed. I understand that the Committee informed Major Hooper of this decision on 2nd December. Presumably in the interval they were considering whether they would ask for reconsideration. No such request was in fact received. Perhaps, in view of the allegations which have been publicly made, I may add that no search of Major Hooper's rooms and belongings was made by any military authority.