§ MR. SWIFT MACNEILLI beg to ask the Secretary of State for War, whether he can explain why he refused to accede to Miss Hobhouse's request, on her return last summer from visiting the concentration camps in South Africa, to place a limit, having regard to the overcrowded state of these camps, to the number of women and children who should be brought into them; and will he state what steps, if any, were then taken to prevent outbreak of disease in these camps, which he was warned was then imminent.
§ MR. BRODRICKThe state of the country and the frequent railway cutting 456 by the Boers, together with the difficulty of moving large numbers of persons in the African winter, made it impossible to fix limits to the number in particular camps. As regards disease, steps had been taken before Miss Hobhouse's return to England to cope with the serious outbreak of measles and the attendant complications; the details of such measures will be found in the published reports.
§ MR. SWIFT MACNEILLDid Miss Hobhouse represent to the right hon. Gentleman the impending danger, and did he disregard it?
§ * MR. SPEAKEROrder, order!