§ 21 and 43. Mr. GILBERTasked the Under-Secretary of State for War (1) the number of German military and naval prisoners now in this country and the number of prison camps or buildings they occupy in Great Britain and Ireland; if any of them are employed at any camp on any useful work, and if so, if they receive payment and at what rates; if they are not employed is it proposed to find work for all or any of them during the present year; what kind of work it is proposed to employ them on; and (2) the Secretary of State for the Home Department the number of alien enemies now interned and the number of camps or buildings they occupy in Great Britain and Ireland; if any of them have been employed on any remunerative or useful work during last year and, if so, what kind of work; and if it is proposed to employ any or all of them on any work during the present year; and, if so, the employment proposed?
§ Mr. TENNANTAs regards question No. 21, there are 13,821 German naval and military prisoners of war distributed over thirteen camps and buildings in Great Britain. There are none in Ireland. Some of them are employed in the immediate neighbourhood of their camps, and for this work they receive the same working pay as British soldiers. Others are employed in making mail bags, for which they receive payment at the rate of 6d. a bag. It is hoped to employ large numbers-shortly in clearing forest areas, and perhaps in quarrying. There are 32,181 alien enemies interned in eight camps in Great Britain and one in Ireland. Some of them are employed in quarrying, for which the rate of remuneration is varying, and others in the manufacture of mail bags, at the same rate as the military and naval prisoners. It is hoped to employ some of these prisoners also in clearing forest areas in the near future.
§ Sir A. MARKHAMAre these rates of pay the same as paid to British prisoners who are prisoners of war in Germany?
§ Mr. TENNANTYes, I think that is so, as provided by The Hague Convention.