asked the Secretary of State for War what number of male clerks of all grades have been discharged from his Department since 2nd September last; what number of these were ex-service men; and what number of female clerks of all grades were discharged during the same period?

The answer is that eight male clerks, all ex-service, and no female clerks have been discharged from the War Office. Figures for out-stations could not be obtained without considerable inquiry.

asked the Secretary of State for War what number of serving soldiers have been released from military duties to undertake clerical work in his Department; and what number of those so released have been given executive rank?

Soldiers employed on clerical work in the War Office are not released from military duties.

Will the right hon. Gentleman explain just what he means by that? Some of these men have been there since the beginning of the war, and how can they be doing military duties in the ordinarily accepted sense of the term when they are in fact doing ordinary clerical work at the War Office?

I was following the phraseology used by the hon. Gentleman, but it is one military duty to undertake clerical work. There are clerks in the army.

Is that not really an evasion, and will not the right hon. Gentleman answer the question why these men are taken away from their ordinary military duties to do work that can be performed by ordinary clerks, not soldiers at all? The whole thing is becoming a scandal.

No, Sir. They are performing their military duties; they are military clerks.

I cannot get an answer, and I will put the question down again.

I gave the hon. Member an answer.