asked the Secretary of State for War whether he is aware that civilian internees in the Far East are being refused leave petrol allowances even when they have been members of local defence forces and have been prisoners for four years; and whether he will authorise allowances on a similar scale to that granted to military ex-prisoners.
Repatriates who were captured by the Japanese when serving in the Armed Volunteer Forces of Hong Kong or Malaya or who for any other reason are treated by the authorities as members of the Armed Forces of the Crown on leave from service overseas, are eligible for the petrol allowance. Bat the allowance is admissible only to members of the Forces and the Merchant Navy, and cannot be granted to civilian internees.