§ Mr. Mainwaringasked the Prime Minister if he will instruct the Service Departments to grant compassionate leave to men in the Services while their wives are incapacitated during childbirth in the absence of any local organised means of assisting the households.
§ Mr. AttleeNo, Sir. Leave may be granted in such cases to men serving in this country where no other arrangements can be made to assist the wife. Each application is carefully considered. So far as the Army is concerned, when a man is serving overseas his case is considered on compassionate grounds by the Commander-in-Chief concerned. In this connection I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply given on 6th February by the Secretary of State for War in answer to a number of hon. Members.
So far as the R.A.F. is concerned, there is no scheme of compassionate leave from overseas theatres other than North-Western Europe, but where the compassionate grounds are strong enough a home posting may be arranged.
So far as the Royal Navy is concerned, application for leave on extreme compassionate grounds from overseas theatres would be considered on its merits by the Admiralty.