asked the Secretary of State for War the circumstances associated with the death, on Friday, 12th April, 1940, of Signalman Kerr, of the 15th Scottish Division, Royal Corps of Signals, stationed in Glasgow; and whether the parents were summoned and were they allowed to see their dead son?

This soldier was taken ill in his billet on the night of 12th April, and died within a few hours. The parents were immediately informed and came to Glasgow on the morning of 13th April. When they arrived, the body was being moved to the mortuary. They could have seen the body there, but preferred not to do so. At the request of the parents, the body was conveyed to Gretna on 14th April, and a burial party was sent by the unit. After the funeral, the parents sent to the unit a letter of thanks.

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that seven days prior to this lad's death he was inoculated three times and vaccinated once and that then sickness intervened; and will he ascertain whether a full investigation into the death took place?

I will certainly look into that. It does not, of course, arise on this Question, nor has it been brought to my notice.

Was it not reasonable to assume that the right hon. Gentleman would have been informed of this important aspect of this man's illness without my telling him?

I did inquire into the case and gathered that a post mortem examination was held, when the cause of death was found to have been associated with pneumonia.