§ 68. Mr. GILBERTasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what allowances are made to the wives, children and dependants of alien enemies who are interned in this country, by whom the allowances are paid, what they have amounted to in the years 1914 and 1915, and from whom such amounts will be recoverable?
§ Mr. LONGMy right hon. Friend has asked me to answer this question. Allowances from funds provided by the British Government are made through the agency of boards of guardians to distressed wives and families of interned alien enemies, but only in cases in which the wives are British-born or were by birth of allied or neutral nationality. The allowances in England and Wales are paid in accordance with instructions issued by my Department, copies of which I am sending to the hon. Member. The maximum allowances are 11s. 6d. a week in London and 9s 3d. elsewhere for the wife, and is. 9d. for each child, which may be increased to 2s. 6d. in cases where the guardians consider such an increase necessary. The total amount of these allowances in England and Wales up to the end of 1915 was approximately £100,000. I am not in a position to make any statement as to the question of recovery of the sums thus expended.
§ Sir C. HENRYCould the right hon. Gentleman say whether Germany is treating similar cases in a similar manner?
§ Mr. SPEAKERThat does not arise out of the question.
§ Mr. HOGGEIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that 11s. 6d. without rent is 1s. less than the 12s. 6d., which includes 3s. 6d. rent, for a soldier's wife in this country?