44. Mr. MacCALLUM SCOTTasked the hon. Member for Sheffield (Central Division) whether Pershore fruit-growers have applied for the services of forty prisoners of war for whom they guaranteed permanent work; and whether any steps have been taken in response to that application?
Mr. J. HOPESince the reconstruction of the Prisoners of War Employment Committee at the end of last year no application from Pershore for the services of prisoners has been brought before them. All the prisoners who could be spared for agriculture were allotted by the Committee to the Board of Agriculture, who undertook the task of distributing them through the country in conjunction with the War Office. I understand that eighty of such prisoners were assigned to the War Agricultural Committee for Worcestershire.
§ 62. Mr. JOYNSON-HICKSasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether his attention has been called to the recent threats of German cruelty and barbarity to the English prisoners of War; and what steps do the Government propose to take?
Mr. HOPEI presume my hon. Friend refers to a recent declaration by General von Stein. In this connection I am to say that His Majesty's Government have always been most reluctant to adopt retaliatory measures of a kind they would not themselves initiate. If, however, the enemy should really carry out his threat of employing British prisoners immediately behind his firing -line, the Government will at once decide on appropriate action.
§ 65. Mr. SNOWDENasked the hon. Member for Sheffield (Central Division) if, under present Regulations, the friends of British prisoners of war in Germany are prohibited from sending parcels direct to them; if parcels can only be sent through the Prisoners of War Committee; if individual soldiers receive through that committee parcels to the value of the remittances sent to the committee by their friends, and, if not, what is the system; and if he is aware of the existence of dissatisfaction at the way in which the Prisoners of War Committee is carrying out its work?
Mr. HOPEBroadly speaking, parcels can only be sent through the Central Prisoners of War Committee, or an association working under its orders. The Central Committee undertake that every prisoner of war shall receive adequate supplies of food, standard parcels being sent out three times a fortnight, in addition to bread from Switzerland or Denmark. Friends of prisoners who desire to send supplies of a more expensive character than the standard parcels can give special orders for the same. The present system has introduced certain restrictions, which some of the prisoners' friends, who were used to the former procedure, have doubtless found irksome. I think, however, it will be found that the advantages of the new system far outweigh its defects. In connection with the recent criticisms on the Central Prisoners of War Committee, I know that the chairman and managing director of that organisation would welcome an inquiry into their methods by a small, impartial Committee of Members of the House.