asked the Under-Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs whether he has protested in Dublin against the action of Mr. de Valera in paying an official call on the German Minister in Dublin to express the condolence of the Government of Eire on the death of Hitler.

:I would refer to the reply which I gave on Tuesday, 8th May, to my hon. Friends the Members for South Bristol (Mr. A. Walkden) and South Croydon (Sir H. Williams)

:Is the Minister aware that it would be very difficult for a person like de Valera to realise anything that was of an advantageous nature to this country or to the United Nations, and that the men and women of my division are furious at the attitude adopted towards the German Minister? Will he not take some steps whereby a protest of the strongest possible character can be made to these people?

:I think I made it quite clear, in my reply to my hon. Friends on 8th May, what was the attitude of His Majesty's Government, and, I believe, of the whole House.

:Is Mr. de Valera harbouring Herr Hitler?

:Is the Minister aware that the de Valera broadcast might be very interesting to this country?

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs whether the Union Jack was flown over the offices of the United Kingdom Representative in Dublin on either of the two Victory-in-Europe commemoration days.

:Yes, Sir. The flag was flown on both days.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs the terms of the apology received from Mr. de Valera on account of the breaking of the windows of the offices of the United Kingdom Representative by the Dublin mob.

:Yes, Sir. The following is the statement which was issued on 8th May by the Eire Government:

"Windows in the British Representative's Office and the American Consulate-General were broken last night by stones thrown by a member or members of a disorderly crowd which paraded the streets after the disturbances at Trinity College. The Secretary of the Department of External Affairs called this afternoon on the British Representative, Sir John Maffey, and on the American Consul General, Mr. McEnelly, to express the regrets of the Minister for External Affairs at the occurrence which he greatly deplored."

:Why did not the Minister for External Affairs call in person to express regret, in view of the fact that he found time to call in person at the German Legation to express sympathy on the death of Hitler?

:Will the hon. Gentleman be good enough to answer that question, because others of us are very interested in it?

:I am afraid I am not in a position to give an answer as to why the Minister for External Affairs did not call on His Majesty's Representative.

:Will the hon. Gentleman instruct the British Representative in Dublin to refuse to accept apologies in future from minor officials of the Eire Government?

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs what information he has as to steps being taken to arrest the Germans in their Embassy and elsewhere in Eire, with a view to their trial in due course as war criminals.

:The general question of the position of German Missions in neutral countries is under consideration. His Majesty's Government at present have no evidence of the complicity in war crimes of Germans either in the German Legation in Dublin or elsewhere in Eire.

:Where is "Haw-Haw"? Is he also there?

:Are the Government aware that the German Minister has purchased a house in Dublin, in which he has stored a large amount of valuables? Will they be available to the British Government for reparations?

:I have seen that report in the Press.

:Does my hon. Friend not think that our Representative in Dublin ought to inquire, if he is any use at all?

asked the President of the Board of Trade what assistance is being given to men returned from the Forces in the way of fitting up premises, obtaining equipment, tools and initial stock; and whether they receive priority and to whom they should apply.

:I would refer my hon. Friend to the statement on business grants to ex-Servicemen made by my right hon. Friend the Minister of Labour on 15th February last. As regards the other matters referred to by my hon. Friend, ex-Servicemen may obtain the information they require on application either to my Controller for their region or to the nearest resettlement advice office of the Ministry of Labour.

:How many applications have the Board of Trade received up to date for such assistance?

:I could not say without notice, but we are very anxious to provide the most effective assistance we can for these men. I hope that the publicity given to my answer will enable any who are in doubt to apply at one or other of the places I have mentioned.

:Is my right hon. Friend aware that after requests have been made these ex-soldiers, before they know where they are, find themselves involved with five or six Government Departments? Will he do his best to expedite the procedure?

:Yes, certainly.

:Will the ex-Servicemen receive priority?

:Yes, Sir. My hon. Friend put down a Question covering a very wide field, and I do not desire to give an unduly lengthy answer. It is our desire, where there is a priority system in operation, that ex-Service men should get a due priority.

:Will the right hon. Gentleman expedite the procedure for the wives of men who had small businesses before the war, and who joined up, when the wives wish to re-establish businesses before the return of their husbands?

:That will be the case if they have joined the Register of Traders, which I instituted some time ago to enable ex-Servicemen who returned from the war to get licences as a matter of course to resume their businesses.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what arrangements are made to make available beds, house-hold utensils, and other goods necessary for the establishment of separate house-holds for members of the Forces as they are demobilised and find accommodation.

:Married members of the Forces are entitled, in such circumstances, to utility furniture and to priority dockets for bedding, curtain materials and linoleum.

:Will my right hon. Friend look into the question of whether, even with priority dockets, these things are going to be available? If not, will he consult with the other Departments about the surplus stores that have become available in other forms of war service, and see whether they could not be provided for demobilised members of the Forces?

:We are watching the matter very carefully. I have tried to arrange that there shall not be so many priority dockets issued as to absorb an undue proportion of the available supplies. So far we have succeeded in that, but I am constantly in touch with other Departments regarding all these surplus stores.

asked the President of the Board of Trade the present plans of his Department to ensure an immediate release in the output of scientific instruments in this country to provide for the research work essential to the productivity of post war industry.

:The scientific instruments industry has been greatly expanded during the war, and, as war contracts are reduced, ample capacity should become available for the manufacture of apparatus for peace-time production. I shall do my utmost, in conjunction with my right hon. Friend the Minister of Supply, to see that this industry is maintained at the highest possible level of efficiency.

:Is my right hon. Friend satisfied that the Minister of Labour is finding sufficient men?

:My right hon. Friend has an extremely difficult and complex task in the unwinding of this great war mobilisation which has been carried out, and I am confident that he is doing as well as any man on earth could do.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what clothing coupons are given women of the W.L.A. to provide themselves with new clothing on relinquishing their uniform.

:Women released from the Women's Land Army are given back some of the coupons they have surrendered for uniform in the current rationing period. The number returned depends on the date of release and the length of service.

:How is it that a woman who has worked for over three and a half years on the land, and has given up all her uniform, is given only four coupons? Is it right to turn her naked on the world like this?

:I think she will have had sufficient coupons to prevent that extremity. The Women's Land Army receive, first of all, certain clothing, which is issued in connection with their work. They receive, in the second place, the ordinary civilian clothing ration which everybody else gets. In the third place, they get the industrial ten. In the fourth place, they get a special allowance of 26 coupons, on entering, which is particularly designed to enable them to obtain suitable underwear. On the whole, I think they are treated not ungenerously as compared with the general body of the population.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he is aware that there is a great shortage of enamelware in London shops and a large surplus in many provincial towns; and will he see that the supply to the London area is increased.

:There has been some shortage of enamelware in London owing largely to transport difficulties, but there are plentiful supplies of tinware. Improved transport facilities have now been arranged, and I hope that deliveries of enamelware to London will soon improve.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he has considered the advisability of calling for a survey of the cotton industry similar to that recently made in regard to the coal industry.

:A number of surveys of the cotton industry have been made in recent years, including the reports issued last year by the Cotton Board's Post-War Committee and by the Piatt Mission to America. I see no reason to set on foot any further inquiry.

:Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that all these reports conflict to a considerable extent; and would it not be as well to get an impartial body, apart from both employers and employees, to undertake a complete survey of the capacity of the industry?

:The Cotton Board contains, and very properly contains, representatives of all sections of the cotton industry including the trade unions, and the Piatt Mission also contained representatives of both employers and trade unions, and if these people do not know how to deal with the cotton industry I do not think anybody else does.

:May I ask the Minister whether all these reports were on the technical side, or whether any were on the production and distribution side?

:The Platt Report was very technical and very disturbing.

:Will the right hon. Gentleman consider leaving the cotton and other industries alone for quite a long period to get on with their job?

asked the President of the Board of Trade what further steps he is taking to reopen spinning mills which have been closed under the Concentration Order.

:Six spinning mills have recently been re-opened and further mills will be re-opened, as and when labour becomes available.

:Can the Minister say how soon the next group of mills are likely to be re-opened?

:It all depends on the rate of return of operatives from other work to the cotton industry, and, as I have said before, operatives who have been working on munitions during the war are very disinclined to return to the cotton industry. That is one of our great troubles in this connection. I am doing everything I can to encourage the return of cotton operatives to the production of cotton, but it is an uphill process.

:Would it not help the Minister to open some of these mills if other Departments would take their stores out?

:No, Sir; that is a very minor consideration. We have at present a large number of mills in Lancashire only partly manned, and until we get sufficient operatives back to run a full complement in these mills, it would be very wasteful to open any others. They had much better be kept for stores.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will now extend the granting of priority dockets for the purchase of bedding to householders in reception areas who have received evacuees in their homes for long periods with consequently heavy wear and tear on their bedding.

:No, Sir. I regret that, while supplies of bedding are so short, I cannot see my way at present to extend the priority docket scheme.

:Is the Minister aware that many of these people rendered really long and loyal service in receiving evacuees into their homes willingly and not ungenerously; and cannot he see his way, now that more goods are coming on the market, to meet the case of these people and to replace bedding which has been so heavily worn during this period?

:I am extremely sympathetic to the suggestion of my hon. and gallant Friend, but we celebrated VE Day only a few days ago, and the increase in supplies between then and now is not yet sufficient to enable me to extend this priority docket scheme. When supplies have increased, as I hope they will in the course of a few months, I shall be most happy to consider possible extensions.

:In order that his sympathy may not wane, will the right hon. Gentleman keep in mind the fact that many evacuees have been billeted in the homes of quite poor people, who cannot possibly compete, financially, for the limited supplies that are on the market?

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether in view of the useless quality of dental floss now being made in this country, silk can now be released for manufacturing dental floss of pre-war quality in view of the fact that throughout the war a similar article made in America has been of pre-war standard.

:I have been asked to reply. Raw silk is now available to manufacturers of dental floss, if they so desire it.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether in view of the urgent public need for raincoats and mackintoshes and the difficulty of purchasing them on the present coupon allocation, he will consider allowing them to be purchased without coupons.

:I regret that, as supplies are at present very limited, I cannot see my way to adopt my hon. and gallant Friend's suggestion.

asked the Secretary of State for War, on what date it was explained by, or on behalf of, Field-Marshal Montgomery to a battalion of the Essex Regiment, of whose identity he has been informed, why men who had served for a number of years in more distant theatres of war were eligible, on transfer to the B.L.A., for only seven days' home leave.

:I have now had an opportunity of referring to Field-Marshal Montgomery, and, as a result, I wish to vary in one particular the answer which I gave on 10th April. The Field-Marshal visited all the formations who had been transferred from Italy to Germany and spoke to a great many of the men. He did not, however, formally address the units concerned as my answer perhaps suggested. On the other band, he did address all the officers of the formations in question, and, in particular; explained to them the leave arrangements which had been made. They would naturally be expected to explain the position to their men. In addition to the considerations which I mentioned in my previous answer, the Field-Marshal reminds me of the fact that, with any longer period of leave, the formations would not have been ready in time to take part in the decisive battles.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he will now speed up the repatriation of all men with more than three years' overseas service.

asked the Secretary of State for War approximately how many officers and men there are with the B.L.A. who have had over four years' overseas service without leave to this country apart from seven days' leave from the B.L.A.; and if he will make arrangements for the immediate posting to this country of these officers and men.

:There are about 3,600 officers and men with the B.L.A. who have served overseas for over four years without home leave apart from the seven days' leave from North West Europe. I have emphasised repeatedly that we shall spare no effort to reduce as soon as we can the present long tours of service overseas. As I indicated in my speech introducing Army Estimates, in the period of re-deployment after the defeat of Germany it will, I hope, be possible gradually to reduce the tour considerably. But the process will necessarily not be as fast as we should like it to be. It will depend largely on the reductions which can be made in our forces in Germany and on the amount of shipping available after we have provided for the deployment of our forces against Japan and for the return to this country of men due for release from the Army.

:Is the right hon. Gentleman aware of the dissatisfaction amongst these men who have been posted to the B.L.A. from North Africa, and will he give them priority in repatriation to this country?

:The ordinary rules will apply which I have announced in this House repeatedly. As I have explained in this House, by and large, the men carry their repatriation rights with them to a new theatre.

:Will the right hon. Gentleman keep in mind the anxiety of those who have been out in North Africa during the whole of the period and have not even been home for seven days and try to shorten their time by way of a start?

:Certainly, and I think my answer covers the point if my hon. Friend will be good enough to read it.

:May I ask my right hon. Friend whether he has any power to secure the return home of those who are suffering from serious illness?

:I do not think that arises out of this Question, and if the hon. Member has a specific case in mind perhaps he had better write to me about it.

asked the Secretary of State for War by what means legal advice is made available to soldiers and officers convicted by court-martial so that they can prepare appeals against the conviction and if this legal advice is given free in cases where the soldier or officer has not the means to pay for it.

:If an officer or soldier convicted by court-martial desires to have legal assistance in the preparation of a petition against his conviction, and is unable himself to pay for civilian counsel or solicitor, the services of his defending officer—assuming he had been represented by one at his trial—would normally be made available to advise and assist him in the preparation of his petition. If meanwhile he has been removed to a military prison or detention barrack, every opportunity is given to enable him to prepare his petition. The welfare officer, chaplain and commandant are available to assist him. Any legal advice or assistance from military sources is given free to the officer or soldier, but the payment from public funds of fees of civilian counsel or solicitor for this purpose is not authorised.

:Will the right hon. Gentleman make sure that this procedure is made known to soldiers and officers who may be court-martialled?

:I will consider that. I would not like to give a definite answer offhand, but I will certainly consider it.

:Is it possible to appeal against a conviction, once the sentence has been confirmed?

:Certainly, it is.

:Should not every soldier who is charged be informed of his rights, and of the fact that he has the right to be represented, or aided by somebody else?

:I have not the slightest doubt that he is informed. This is a question of informing him of the availability of advice in connection with a petition.

asked the Secretary of State for War if, when Victory marches are being arranged, he will give an assurance that there shall be such a march through the East End of London Boroughs, so that their much-bombed citizens may have an opportunity of acclaiming the Forces who have avenged their sufferings.

:My hon. Friend's suggestion will certainly be borne in mind, but I cannot say now what the ultimate arrangements about Victory processions will be.

asked the Secretary of State for War when he expects to inform the House of the result of his inquiries as to the possibility of releasing schools which have been requisitioned for various military purposes; and whether he is aware that pupils of London schools who were evacuated to the country are in many cases returning with their parents, their country billets being no longer available, and are receiving no education by reason of the occupation by his Department of their schools.

:I expect to have a complete return of phased requirements by the end of the month. It will then take say a fortnight to draw up a programme of derequisitions. Under this, as I have repeatedly said, priority will be given to small dwelling houses and schools. I should, however, make it clear that a considerable number of these classes of property have been derequisitioned already and the process is continuing even in advance of the general review. If my hon. Friend will repeat his Question after Whitsun, I will let him know when I shall be able to make a more detailed statement.

:Does not my right hon. Friend agree that the education of our children is a first priority in post-war reconstruction; and that it is no good having elaborate paper schemes in connection with education when schools are not available for the children by reason of War Office occupation?

:I do not think that I could possibly have said more. I have said time after time in this House that, after small dwelling houses, schools are the first priority. I have also just said—I do not know whether my hon. Friend could have heard what I said—that, even in advance of the general review and what he so contemptuously called "paper schemes," schools and small dwelling houses are being de-requisitioned all the time.

:Does my right hon. Friend mean schools in the provinces as well as in London?

:Certainly.

rose —

:On a point of Order, Mr. Speaker. The right hon. Gentleman said that I referred to education schemes contemptuously. I merely said that we had a number of proposals and it was no good if we could not put them into operation—

:That is not a point of Order.

:Can my right hon. Friend say whether the decision he has announced with regard to the de-requisition of schools is a decision relating to the three Services or is only peculiar to the War Office?

:It is not a new announcement. It represents, so to speak, the continuing practice of the War Department, and in this matter I take upon myself only my own sins and not other people's.

:May I ask my right hon. Friend whether he is making a serious effort to use empty camps, especially those particularly well built, for the purpose of schools, and has he looked into the question of the empty camps, the names of which I have given him?

:Certainly, all that will be looked into in connection with the general review. One of the difficulties in this matter, of course, is that sometimes the empty accommodation available is not in the right place in the changed conditions.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether in view of the cessation of hostilities in Europe, the Government will expedite the return of requisitioned houses, halls and buildings to their owners throughout the country at the earliest possible opportunity; and whether he will specially bear in mind the applications that have been made to him previously in the Evesham Division.

:The Army will continue to need much requisitioned accommodation. I will, however, release from Army use any which can be spared and in doing so priority will be given to small dwelling houses and schools. I regret that I cannot give a special preference to Evesham.

:Why is it that the War Office have done nothing, are doing nothing, and continue to do nothing in the Vale of Evesham over de-requisitioning?

:I would like time for research into the assertion that we are doing nothing in the Vale of Evesham. We are not doing anything in regard to the particular building in which my hon. Friend is interested—that is quite true—but in this as in so many matters, one swallow does not make a summer.

:Is my right hon. Friend aware of the big wide-open houses with nothing in them?

:Will my right hon. Friend pay special attention to a case in my constituency where 50 houses have been requisitioned for Italian prisoners of war, on a housing estate?

:Italian prisoners of war are working in this country to help to increase the productivity of the land, and hon. Members really cannot have it both ways. If the Italian prisoners are to work to help to produce food for us, they have to be accommodated.

:Must they be accommodated in houses in my constituency?

:When will the general review of this whole position, which I understand is being conducted, be completed?

:My Noble Friend will find that only three minutes ago I answered a long Question on that.

:I shall raise this matter over and over again; it is very serious.

asked the Secretary of State for War if he is aware that officers and men in the armies in liberated countries who have been engaged in severe fighting would now appreciate any opportunity during off-duty hours or periods of inactivity to visit surrounding places of interest; and if he will, within the available transport resources, arrange for day and half-day trips exclusively for sightseeing purposes for all ranks in all the liberated countries where soldiers are now stationed.

:This is a matter for the Commander-in-Chief who I am sure will do what is possible in this direction. But my hon. Friend will appreciate that the troops will continue to be busy and the calls on transport very heavy.

:As we spend something like £4,000,000 a year on indoor entertainment which is not very popular in the summer months, and 70,000 Americans are to come over here sightseeing, cannot we switch over some of the N.A.A.F.I. profits and adopt sightseeing instead of organised entertainments?

:That raises a larger question and perhaps the hon. Member will give me time to look at it.

asked the Secretary of State for War why officers serving under the India Command are being allowed 28 days' leave under private arrangements whereas other ranks are compelled to spend their 28 days' leave in Army leave camps; whether he is aware that this lack of freedom to make private leave arrangements is resented by other ranks serving in the Command; and whether, in future, he will grant the same facilities in this respect for both officers and other ranks.

:I am making inquiries into the matter and will communicate with my right hon. Friend in due course.

asked the Secretary of State for War to what extent the cessation of hostilities in Europe will affect the work of the Red Cross.

:I understand that the British Red Cross War Organisation has this under consideration and they will no doubt make a public announcement in due course.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether, in order to facilitate the rehabilitation of the building industry and expedite the building and repair of houses, he will release redundant members of the staffs, civil and military, of D.C.R.Es. and Garrison Engineers in this country whose specialised training and experience are urgently needed for the purposes indicated.

:A number of housing experts will be released under the normal rules and I am sure that of those who remain none will be redundant.

:May I ask the right hon. Gentleman if he will look again into this question of redundancy if I send him a letter from a garrison engineer in this country who says, that there is redundancy and a lot of it?

:I will certainly look into it again, but I am bound to give notice in advance that redundancy may mix itself up in a man's mind with a great desire to get back to civil life.

:Is my right hon. Friend aware that the building industry is saturated with experts and too few workmen?

:That thought had occurred to me, I confess.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he can state the number of R.N. and R.A.F. personnel who had completed four years' service on 1st January, 1945, who have been transferred to the Army since that date.

:Three thousand four hundred and fifty men have been transferred from the Royal Navy and 8,000 from the R.A.F. I regret that I do not know how many of these had completed four years' service by 1st January.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether soldiers are examined by a psychiatrist before being tried by field general courts-martial.

:Before such a trial a man is always examined by a medical officer but not necessarily by a psychiatrist.

asked the Secretary of State for War in respect of how many soldiers serving sentences in Category C detention barracks was a certificate of a psychiatrist issued in the years 1942, 1943, 1944 and the first quarter of 1945, respectively.

:The figures are not available but they are being obtained.

:Arising out of that reply, will my right hon. Friend keep a careful watch on these psychiatrists, bearing in mind that it would be highly improper if men got relief quicker through the "glass house" than by any other means?

:I have been doing what my hon. Friend exhorts me to do, for some years past.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he has any further statement to make on the subject of rations allowed to German prisoners.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether, in view of the shortage of food, he will consult with the Allied Powers with a view to a reduction of the rations issued to German prisoners of war in Allied hands in Europe.

:I have nothing at present to add to the reply I gave several hon. Members on 8th May. Non-workers never have received more of the nationally rationed items than civilians in this country. Working prisoners are being brought into line, so far as nationally rationed foods are concerned, though it may be necessary to give the workers rather more bread and potatoes than the non-workers.

:Does this apply to officers as well?

:Yes, certainly.

:Is the Minister aware of the very great indignation felt by the people of this country about the way these prisoners are being fed, in view of the fact that our own prisoners have stated that, but for the Red Cross parcels, they would have been allowed to starve?

:Most of the indignation to which my hon. and gallant Friend refers is, judging from the correspondence coming to me, based on a complete misapprehension of the facts.

:Is it a fact that Germans get more sugar than ordinary people?

:I should have thought that, having said that non-workers never have received more of the nationally rationed items than visitors to this country, and that working prisoners are being brought into line, the answer to my hon. Friend's question must be clear.

:Does the Minister's answer mean that working German prisoners will receive more than working British civilians?

:Not in the slightest degree.

:Since the right hon. Gentleman says that there is widespread misapprehension, could not he make an authoritative statement?

:That is precisely what I have done and have been trying to do. If the hon. and learned Member, with his legal acumen, will read what I have said, he will see how clear it is. Let me add one other thing. With the food situation in the world as it is, there can be no finality in this matter, and, quite obviously it will have to be reviewed from time to time.

:Is the right hon. Gentleman sure of the "legal acumen"?

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he is aware that a Nazi court at a prisoner-of-war camp, particulars of which have been given to him, recently sentenced a prisoner of war to death by hanging for anti-Nazi propaganda, for membership of the Free German Movement and for leading a working party; and that the man narrowly escaped being hanged accordingly by S.S. men; whether any other such courts are or have been operating and what steps are being taken to deal with the men involved in this incident.

:A court of inquiry has been held. Two prisoners in No. 22 Camp complained that they had been threatened with hanging for participating in anti-Nazi propaganda. Their statements are, however, uncorroborated. One of these prisoners was assaulted and received minor superficial injuries. Another prisoner in this camp was assaulted because he was the foreman of a working gang. He received wounds in the head caused by kicks and blows. Three prisoners concerned in one assault were sentenced to 168 hours detention and transferred to a Nazi camp, and five prisoners concerned in the other assault are being tried by military court. Protection was at once given to the victims and to any other prisoner who felt he was threatened. In addition all prisoners considered likely to cause trouble were segregated in a newly constructed compound at the camp. Over 500 less ardent Nazis were transferred to other camps. I have no definite evidence that Nazi courts have been operating.

I am sorry I did not have this information when the hon. and learned Member originally put down his Question. The only information then available at the War Office related to Camp 21 and it was assumed that the hon. and learned Member was referring to this camp.

:Is not that very unsatisfactory? When a Member puts down a Question about Camp No. 22, and all this had in fact been happening in Camp No. 22, could not the right hon. Gentleman even have asked Camp No. 22 whether anything had been happening?

:Camp No. 22 has been asked and that matter is being pursued, I can assure the hon. and learned Member.

asked the Secretary of State for War if he will abolish the restrictions on entry into Orkney and Shetland.

:These restrictions were imposed primarily in the interests of the Navy. I am informed that they will be removed as soon as circumstances permit.

:Does my right hon. Friend realise that this restriction has pressed extremely heavily on the people of the Orkneys and Shetlands during the war, that a very large number live on the mainland, and there is always a big traffic either way, and will he undertake to have the whole position re-examined?

:My position in this matter is that I only sign the order which the Admiralty want. I have seen correspondence between my hon. and gallant Friend and the Admiralty and I suggest that he goes on attacking the hand and not the pen.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether, in order to prevent the recurrence of assaults on the public, he will give instructions that, in future, non-co-operating Italian prisoners of war are at all times to be controlled by adequate armed guards.

:My noble and gallant Friends suggestion would involve a great increase in the number of guards. I am as anxious as he is to prevent such cases as he raised on 8th May but I do not consider that the circumstances warrant the increase. The cases are very rare and to increase the guards would mean retaining in the Army men due for release.

:Can my right hon. Friend say how he proposes to prevent occurrences of that kind?

:I should have thought that exemplary punishment of offenders would discourage others.

:What is the proportion of Italian non-co-operators?

:Perhaps the hon. Member will put that question down.

asked the Secretary of State for War what are the arrangements for the reception and distribution to their homes of our own returned prisoners of war; and what further number of returnees are to be covered by these arrangements.

asked the Secretary of State for War what number of British prisoners of war from Germany are now in Allied hands; what number are still unaccounted for; and what number are still awaiting evacuation from the western and eastern fronts, respectively.

:I will, with permission, answer this Question and No. 33 together. It was estimated at the beginning of this year that 180,000 British Commonwealth prisoners were in German hands. By 14th May 116,000 had been evacuated from the areas controlled by S.H.A.E.F. and about 1,000 from Italy and about 4,000 through Odessa. We are awaiting reports of the number of prisoners liberated by the Soviet Forces. I am circulating in the OFFICIAL REPORT details of the arrangements made for ex-prisoners when they arrive in this country.

:Can the right hon. Gentleman give some account of the camps in Eastern Austria of which we have heard nothing?

:Perhaps the hon. and gallant Gentleman will put that question down.

Following are the details:

Most ex-prisoners of war are brought to this country by air, and on arrival at the airfield are sent by road or special trains to Reception Camps.

At the camps each repatriate is given a free telegram to enable him to notify his next-of-kin of his safe arrival. In addition, full postal facilities are available. Whilst in the camp a medical in- spection is carried out of each repatriate, and any who are not fit to proceed on leave are sent to hospital. If any man feels he would like a more thorough medical examination, he may ask for this and arrangements are made for a full medical inspection before he goes on leave.

An Advice Bureau has been set up at each of the British Army Reception Camps, staffed by an Army Welfare officer assisted by members of the various voluntary organisations. Pay personnel interview each repatriate and assist him to complete the necessary forms to straighten out his account. Advances of pay are made and clothing coupons and ration cards, etc., are issued.

When the processing has been completed, the repatriates are taken to the nearest railway station by road where, if necessary, special trains are formed to take the men on leave.

Similar arrangements have been made by the other Services. Dominions, Indian and Colonial ex-prisoners of war are sent to reception centres where they are accommodated while arrangements are being made to repatriate them to their own countries.

asked the Secretary of State for War if he can now make any statement on the liberation of Oflag VIIB.

:The prisoners of war from Oflag VIIB were warned to move by the Germans on 14th April leaving behind 100 sick. When the column was just outside the camp it was fired on by Allied aircraft with the result that 11 officers were killed and 42 were wounded. This is one of the hazards to which prisoners are unfortunately but unavoidably exposed in operational areas and I should like to take this opportunity to express my deep sympathy with the victims of this most distressing accident and with their relatives. They have been informed in all cases. The column returned to camp and the wounded were transferred to German hospitals in Eichstadt where they and the sick were ultimately recovered. The prisoners of war left on the night of the 15th for Moosburg. They moved by night and rested by day. They were liberated at Moosburg on 28th April. We know that half of them are in this country. The rest should arrive soon.

:When the right hon. Gentleman says that the relatives have all been informed, does he mean the relatives of those who, most unfortunately, were killed or injured; or does he mean that all the relatives of the survivors as well have now been informed?

:I mean the former. The hon. Gentleman was good enough to send me a letter from a friend of his on the subject. I have written to him in answer to it, but I have said in this House over and over again that as these camps are invariably liberated in conjunction with warlike operations, it is not possible, in spite of all our efforts, to get lists of prisoners back, and the prisoners themselves arrive in most cases before the notification of their release, but I am quite sure that the relatives generally would prefer that we and the Americans should concentrate on getting the men back rather than their names.

:But as the prisoners come back one by one, are steps being taken to pool all the available information from the prisoners themselves, so as to obtain particulars?

:I do not know what the hon. Gentleman means by pooling. Each prisoner is taken to a camp. Immediately he is given an opportunity of sending a telegram to his relatives and he is medically examined. Statements are taken from some of them, but all this is conditioned by the fact that we want to get them home for their six weeks' leave at the earliest possible moment.

asked the Secretary of State for War who was the British representative at the signing of the unconditional surrender instrument at Rheims.

:Several senior British officers were present but none signed.

:Mr. Hewlett.

rose —

:I have called the next Question; the hon. and gallant Member cannot ask a supplementary question now. I gave him quite a long time before calling the next.

asked the Secretary of State for War if he can state the total number of German prisoners captured by the Anglo-American armies since and including the battle of El Alamein; whether an estimate has been made of the number of German divisions wholly or partially destroyed by the Western Allies; and the number of German divisions engaged or tied down by the Western Allies during this period.

:The answer to the first part of the Question is over 4,000,000. From November, 1942, to April, 1945, some 100 German divisions were totally destroyed. The number of divisions engaged or tied down during this period varied considerably. In January of this year it was 120 plus.

asked the Prime Minister whether in view of the destruction of National Socialism, arrangements can be made for the immediate repatriation of all Jewish refugees who had been the victims of persecution in their country of origin.

:No, Sir. Quite apart from other considerations there would be very considerable practical difficulties in carrying out this suggestion.

:Are we to take it that the frequent assurance given by Home Secretaries in previous days that these men were to be repatriated at the earliest possible moment still remains the policy of the Government?

:It still remains the desire, but Europe is in a state of frightful confusion at the moment. Many things are not cleared up there, and I think we had better try to give vent to our policy and good intentions with due regard to what is practical.

:Would the right hon. Gentleman bear in mind that it would be difficult to conceive of a more cruel procedure than to take people who have lost everything they have—their homes, their relatives, their children, all the things that made life decent and possible—and compel them, against their will, to go back to the scene of those crimes?

:I agree with that.

:It would be most unfair to send them back.

:Can my right hon. Friend given an assurance that it is not the intention of His Majesty's Government to differentiate between Jews and other people?

:Having regard to the altogether exceptional brutality and horrible inflictions imposed upon the Jewish people, I should not go so far as to say that special efforts will not be made to meet hard cases.

:Will my right hon. Friend make it clear that, in general, it is the policy of His Majesty's Government, in dealing with refugees, not to differentiate between Jewish and non-Jewish refugees, because to do so might encourage anti-Semitism?

:I think that is a very sensible comment an any looseness in my supplementary replies.

asked the Prime Minister what is the policy of His Majesty's Government in regard to requisitioned further houses, not previously requisitioned, of private individuals after VE-Day; and whether, in view of the distress caused, he will issue a directive that such action by the War Office or any other Department of State shall not be carried out.

:The policy of His Majesty's Government is that further houses should not be requisitioned except for urgent housing or other essential needs. The Government Departments have been fully instructed in these matters and a further special directive in the matter is unnecessary.

:Can my right hon. Friend give an undertaking that Government Departments will not remain in occupation of private houses beyond the termination of the Japanese war?

:The public interest must rule, but every effort will be made to meet private needs.

:Will my right hon. Friend wake up the War Office in this matter?

asked the Prime Minister if it is proposed to hold formal victory parades and celebrations before the end of the Japanese war.

:No, Sir. Our brief rejoicings and celebrations are over, and we must now turn again to many difficult and unpleasant tasks including, especially, the defeat of Japan.

:Does not my right hon. Friend think that we ought to have more celebrations, on account of Japan's complete surrender between now and Christmas?

:We shall all do justice to them when they come.

asked the Prime Minister whether, now that the war situation is so improved in Italy, Germany and other European countries, he will take early steps materially to increase the monthly quota of officers and men allowed leave to this country.

asked the Prime Minister what arrangements are being made for giving a period of home leave to those who have been serving in the Forces in Europe and Africa before they are posted to India or the Far East.

:We have to meet all demands for the needs of the war against Japan. Apart from this it is hoped that we shall be able to bring home all those due for release under their appropriate groups to continue the Python scheme of repatriation with its present qualifying periods and to give leave in this country to all men now serving overseas who have to be posted to the Far East. If resources of shipping and man-power permit the next object will be to reduce the Python qualifying periods. Whether it will be possible, on top of all this, to increase the leave quotas I cannot yet say.

:Does the right hon. Gentleman realise that on the present quota it would take years before some men, who went out on D-Day, ever got home again?

:All things are moving at the same time, and it does not follow that the present arrangements would be suitable to a world in which all our enemies had submitted.