§ 48. Sir C. KINLOCH-COOKEasked the Prime Minister whether his attention has been called to the Regulations governing the work and pay of conscientious objectors at Princetown; will he give the rate of pay and allowances, and say how many days per week these men are required to work and how many hours a day; and whether they are free to roam without supervision after their work is finished until 9.30 p.m.?
§ Mr. BRACEMy right hon. Friend has asked me to reply to this question. The rate of pay of all conscientious objectors employed under the Committee on the Employment of Conscientious Objectors is 8d. a day, from which a deduction, up to a maximum of 6d. a day, is made in cases where a separation allowance is being paid to the man's dependants. No allowances are paid to the men, except that a ration allowance of 1s. 7d. a day is paid to any man who is absent, with the Committee's approval, for a complete day from his quarters. The men at Princetown are required to work ten hours per day for five days in the week, and six and a half hours on Saturdays. The men are not prisoners and are at liberty between the hour of ceasing work and 9.30 p.m., when they have to be in their quarters.
§ 49. Sir C. KINLOCH-COOKEasked whether the conscientious objectors now boarded at Princetown are still in receipt of rations on the following scale: Bread, 1½ lbs. per day or. 10½ lbs. per week, meat ¾lb. per day or 5½lbs. per week, potatoes ¼lb. per day or 1¾lbs. per week, ¼lb. per day or 1¾lbs. per week, margarine 2 ozs. per day or 14 ozs. per week, together with two pints of tea per day; and, if so, seeing that these rations exceed the allowances under the Food Controller's scale for persons in ordinary civil life, will he consider the advisability of placing these men on a less generous diet?
§ Mr. BRACEMy right hon. Friend has asked me to answer this question. The hon. Member has been misinformed as to the dietary, which has been framed so as to comply with the Food Controller's scale. The amount allowed of the articles which he mentions is as follows: Bread 9 ozs. a day, meat 6 ozs. a day, potatoes 8 ozs. a week, jam 2 ozs. a day, margarine ¾ ozs. a day, tea one pint a day.
§ Sir C. KINLOCH-COOKEIs it not a fact that the rations stated in my question were posted at Princetown before the conscientious objectors arrived?
§ Sir C. KINLOCH-COOKEWill the hon. Member answer my question?
§ Sir C. KINLOCH-COOKEI have put it down.