§ 3. Major HUNTasked why 375 unfit German civilians were allowed to go back to Germany during the four months ending with May, when Germany only allowed twenty-two unfit British civilians I to come back to this country?
§ Lord R. CECILAs the hon. Member is no doubt aware, the agreement for the repatriation of British and German civilians provides for the repatriation of a category of individuals, and is not an agreement for a man for man exchange of unfit civilians. The total number of unfit German civilians repatriated since the agreement came into force on 6th September last is 776, and the number of unfit British civilians repatriated in the same period is 394. There are, approximately, 26,000 German civilians interned in this country, as against 4,000 British civilians interned in Germany.
§ Major HUNTAre those German civilians unfit?
§ Lord R. CECILNo, Sir. The meaning of the figures which I gave my hon. Friend is that since there is a very large excess amounting to six-and-a-half times the number of German civilians in this country to what there are British civilians in Germany it is not surprising that there are rather more German civilians who have gone back to Germany than British civilians who have come back here.