§ 14. Mr. HOGGEasked the Under-Secretary of State for War whether the Prisoners of War Help Committee is a War Office Committee entirely; whether it proposes, in addition to co-ordinating the various organisations throughout the country, to deal with the problem of assisting prisoners of war; and in what relation it stands to the work already being done by the Foreign Office?
§ The UNDER-SECRETARY of STATE for WAR (Mr. Tennant)This Committee is not a War Office Committee properly so called, but it acts under instructions from the War Office, the general nature of which was explained in a communiqué which appeared in the Press on the 29th ultimo. It will assist prisoners of war, as far as that may be done, by facilitating the transmission to them of money and of comforts and relief in kind, but it will, of course, have no power to make any representations as to the management of or conditions in the camps, and its work will consequently not overlap that of the Foreign Office.
§ Mr. HOGGECan my right hon. Friend say whether in future this Committee should be used for the purpose of forwarding money or parcels, etc., instead of asking the assistance of the Foreign Office?
§ Mr. TENNANTI think so.