§ MR. HERBERT LEWIS (Flint Boroughs)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for War whether he can state the total number of children in the camps of concentration in South Africa, and how many of such children are now under instruction; whether he is aware that the Bloemfontein camp contains about 2,000 children, while school accommodation is only provided for 200; and whether the necessary steps will be taken as soon as practicable to provide all the children with school accommodation.
§ THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR WAR (Mr. BRODRICK, Surrey, Guildford)The total number of children in these camps was 34,112 at the end of May. No figures of the actual numbers attending school have been reported, but every effort is being made to provide ample school accommodation at all the camps. Schools have been started in most of the camps, being held either in a large room set apart in one of the iron and wood structures or marquee tents.
§ MR. C. P. SCOTT (Lancashire, Leigh)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for War whether any decision has yet been taken as to relaxing the rule under which all persons in the concentration camps in South Africa have been compulsorily detained in them, and how soon he expects to be able to publish the new regulations on this subject; and whether he will give orders that very young children who cannot be properly fed in the camps where they are now confined shall, with their mothers, be removed to camps in Cape Colony where nosimilar difficulty would exist.
§ MR. BRODRICKI have nothing to add to what I have already said on these subjects.
§ MR. DILLON (Mayo, E.)Does the right hon. Gentleman recollect that he told me about six weeks ago that in every one of these camps persons were free to come and go as they liked?
§ MR. BRODRICKdid not reply.
§ MR. DILLONThe right hon. Gentleman made the statement to me across the 1054 floor of the House—that everyone was free to come and go as they liked.
§ MR. BRODRICKI said nothing of the kind. What I did say was that in respect to the particular camp in Cape Colony, so far as my information went, those who were there were free to come and go, but I warned hon. Gentlemen that if these questions were pressed on me when I had not full information I could only give such information as I was aware of.
§ MR. DILLONThis is a very serious matter, but I suppose I shall only be in order in giving notice that at the earliest possible moment I will call attention to the fact that the statement made by the right hon. Gentleman now is not correct, and that he did inform me some weeks ago that every person was free to come and go.†
§ MR. BRODRICKI must say that the question was pressed on me, among several others, as a supplementary question, and I gave such information as I could on the spur of the moment.
§ MR. WILLIAM REDMONDMr. Speaker—
§ *MR. SPEAKEROrder, order! Of any further questions notice must be given. The right hon. Gentleman, in answer to the question, said that he could add nothing to the information he had already given.
§ MR. WILLIAM REDMONDThe question I wish to ask—
§ *MR. SPEAKEROrder, order! I have said that no further questions can be put without notice.
§ MR. WILLIAM REDMONDThen I beg to give notice that I shall ask the right hon. gentleman at what date these unfortunate women and children will be released.
§ DR. AMBROSE (Mayo, W.)On a point of order, Sir, I wish to ask what authority the right hon. Gentleman has—
§ *MR. SPEAKEROrder, order!
† Refer to Debates [Fourth Series], Vol. xciii., p. 930; also Vol. lxxxix., p. 1021.