Mr. M. J. COLDWELL (Rosetown-Biggar):

Mr. Speaker, I rise to refer to a matter affecting the privileges of parliament and of myself as a member of parliament. This morning, citizens who sought to interview members of parliament were stopped outside the entrances to this building-not within the precincts of the building, but on the outside near the doors. Among those who were stopped were the premier of Saskatchewan and a member of the legislative assembly, who were required to show some evidence that members of parliament wished to see them. I want to refer this to you, Mr. Speaker, as custodian of the rights of members of this house, because I believe that inquiry should be made and we should be informed under what authority and by whose direction this very extraordinary procedure was followed.

Mr. SPEAKER:

I must inform the hon. member that this is the first time I have heard about the matter. I will confer with the Clerk of the House, and the Sergeant at Arms, whereupon I shall be pleased to give an answer to the hon. member.

Right Hon. W. L. MACKENZIE KING (Prime Minister):

May I say a word as well in reply to my hon. friend? I am obliged to him for bringing up this matter. It is the first intimation I have had that anything of the kind had occurred, and I shall be happy to join with his Honour the Speaker in having the matter carefully looked into.

Mr. COLDWELL:

Thank you.

Mr. CLARENCE GILLIS (Cape Breton South):

May I be permitted to direct a question to the Minister of National Defence (Army) arising out of a telegram I received this morning. I sent a copy of it to the minister and therefore I will not quote it. It has reference to the closing out of army camps across Canada. Service personnel doing maintenance work and living in camp or barracks with their families are now being evicted, and in the section to which the telegram refers there is no available living space. These people are not able to get quarters. Can the minister inform the house what the government's policy or attitude is in a matter of this kind?

Hon. DOUGLAS ABBOTT (Minister of National Defence for Naval Services):

As my hon. friend has stated, he was good enough to send me a copy of the telegram. I do not know the particular area to which he refers or the particular camp he has in mind, but the general policy is that in the case of rented premises watchmen are retained until such time as the premises are returned to the lessor. In the case of premises owned by the government, or premises constructed on leased land, watchmen or maintenance people are retained until such time as the premises are turned over to another government department or declared surplus and turned over under the Surplus Crown Assets Act to be disposed of by the war assets corporation. It is clear, I think, that it would not be possible for the Department of National Defence to retain the services of watchmen or to continue to provide accommodation for them after the particular premises have ceased to be administered by the Department of National Defence. If my hon. friend will give me the particular case he has in mind I will look into the circumstances, but that is the general policy so far as army premises are concerned.

Mr. GILLIS:

It is in Sydney, Nova Scotia, the Royal Avenue barracks. Four families are affected.

Mr. T. A. KIDD (Kingston City):

Hon. DOUGLAS ABBOTT (Minister of National Defence for Naval Services):

I do not know whether anything can be done to speed up the existing procedure. As my hon. friend the member for Kingston City knows, the policy was announced a week or ten days ago whereby university students can obtain discharge from the army upon producing evidence that they have been accepted for the university or other educational institution which they propose to attend, and upon making application and producing that evidence they will be discharged immediately, subject always to the general conditions that, if they are performing some work in which it is essential that they should be retained for a short time, the application might have to be refused. I know of no case in which discharge has been refused. That policy has been in force only a week or ten days, and I am advised that it is operating fairly satisfactorily.

Mr. KIDD:

Does this apply in the same way to the forces of the Pacific command now in training at Fort Benning, Georgia?

Mr. ABBOTT:

These instructions have gone out to all commands.

Mr. DIEFENBAKER:

By leave of the house, will the minister allow a supplementary question? Does this rule apply to service personnel who desire to enter collegiates, intermediate schools? The reason I ask the question is that a number have been refused discharge who desire to enter collegiate rather than university.