§ MR. KIMBERI beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for War whether he has any information to the effect that the Boers while still in arms and actual fight with British troops were allowed to send in to Ficksburg for medical comforts, and that these were supplied from British Army stores, whilst British prisoners of war at Nooitgedacht have not been allowed to receive either medical comforts, clothing, or even to receive and transmit letters to their relatives; and whether he has yet succeeded in procuring any alleviation of these conditions.
§ MR. WYNDHAMIn regard to the medical assistance to the enemy at Ficksburg no report has reached the War Office. In regard to the British prisoners of war at Nooitgedacht the Government is making every effort to secure that supplies of medical comforts and clothing and correspondence shall reach them, and is most anxious to co-operate with any private effort in this direction. It is considered that private effort is likely to prove more efficacious. It must be remembered that there are difficulties at the present time in the way of communicating with the Boer Government. A telegram was, however, despatched to Lord Roberts on the 24th instant urging him to bring pressure to bear on the Boer authorities in regard to the treatment of the prisoners.