asked the Secretary of State for War why a letter sent on 20th December, 1950, to the hon. Member for Kingston-upon-Thames by a constituent held in close arrest at B Camp Guardroom, Royal Engineers Depot, Barton Stacey, was not forwarded until on or about 28th January, 1951.

I have made inquiries but have been unable to find any evidence that the military authorities were responsible for the alleged delay in forwarding this letter.

Can the right hon. Gentleman say how, when a man is in close arrest, anybody else could be responsible for a delay in his correspondence?

As the hon. Member, quite naturally, had not kept the envelope, we were not able to make any conclusive investigation in the matter. The man himself cannot remember to whom he handed the letter at the time, so it is difficult to come to any conclusion.