§ Captain Thornton-Kemsleyasked the Minister of Information whether he is aware that letters from soldiers serving 1496W in Orkney and Shetland are frequently held up for many weeks owing to the unsatisfactory working of the censorship system; whether he is satisfied that the censorship staff is adequate and its work expeditiously and efficiently performed and that everything possible is being done, in so far as this is compatible with the need to safeguard information which might be of value to the enemy, to ensure that undue anxiety is not caused to the wives and parents of men serving in these islands by the holding up of letters?
Mr. CooperI am not aware of any such "hold-up" of letters from soldiers serving in Orkney and Shetland, as is suggested in the first part of the Question. If, however, the hon. and gallant Member will furnish particulars of any undue delay, I shall be glad to make inquiries. I have no reason to suppose that the work of censorship is not efficiently and expeditiously carried out. It is constantly under review, and in this connection I might refer the hon. and gallant Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for Inverness (Sir M. MacDonald) on Tuesday, 13th August.