§ 29. Mr. GEORGE FABERasked what is the present scale of allowance for bread, meat, and sugar per week for prisoners of war in this country, both officers and men, compared with the Food Controller's dietary list, in respect of those articles for the people of this country generally?
§ 30. Mr. PETOasked whether the rations allowed to German prisoners of war have now been reduced to the level, in respect of meat, bread, and sugar, of the allowance per head Indicated in the recent communications from the Food Controller's Department as applicable to the civilian population in this country?
§ 91. Mr. FABERasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the present scale of allowance for bread, meat, and sugar per week for interned enemy civilians in this country compared with the Food Controller's dietary list, in respect of those articles for the people of this country generally?
Mr. HOPEThe daily ration hitherto issued to prisoners of war in this country is: meat 8 ozs., bread 1½ lbs. or its equivalent in flour, and sugar 2 ozs. No rations are issued to officers, who pay for their own food. The question of the scale to which these rations should be reduced is, as I have already said, the subject of enquiry by a Committee representing the Departments concerned, and their Report may be expected immediately.
§ Mr. FABERWhat is the scale of bread, meat, and sugar per day, or per week, in regard to Donington Hall?
Mr. HOPEI am afraid I do not know, because the officers at Donington Hall have, I understand, to order their own rations.
§ Mr. FABERThe civilians in this country have to order their own rations, and they are asked to conform to a certain standard. Has the same plain request and the same plain demand been made upon the officers at Donington Hall?
Mr. HOPEHitherto the scale for prisoners has been the same as for the combatant rank and file, but that does not apply to Donington Hall. The whole of 609 this matter is to be revised by a Committee representing all parties, the War Office and the Home Office, who are hard at work revising it.
§ Mr. JOYNSON-HICKSWill this Committee be asked to consult with the Food Controller as to what is a reasonable allowance for these men?
Mr. HOPEI am not a member of this Committee, but I understand a representative of the Food Controller is one of the members of the Committee.
§ Mr. PETOWhen was this Committee set up? Did it not occur to anybody that it would be wise to consult the Food Controller before he issued his suggestions to the British population as to why there should be a double allowance for these German prisoners?
§ Mr. SPEAKERThe hon. Member must put down any further questions.