10. Mr. H. O'NEILasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty whether it is the intention of his Department to erect permanent headstones in place of the wooden crosses put up to mark the place of burial of many of our sailors who lost their lives in the War round the coasts of the British Isles; and, if so, can he say how many of such headstones have been erected and how many wooden crosses still remain?
§ Mr. HODGESThis duty is carried out by the Imperial War Graves Commission, who are erecting on the graves of sailors who lost their lives in the War the same form of headstones as on soldiers' graves. I am unable to give the figures for sailors as distinct from other branches of His Majesty's service, but there are estimated to be about 65,000 war graves in the United Kingdom in about 6,000 different cemeteries and churchyards. Some 10,000 of these already have memorials; the Imperial War Graves Commission have erected or contracted for 17,000 more; about 38,000 still remain to be completed. In considering these figures it should be borne in mind that the headstones for all theatres of war are made in this country, and the great bulk of the weekly output is, of course, sent abroad. In all, the Commission have erected or shipped for erection about 270,000 headstones.
Mr. O'NEILLAre the War Graves Commission taking care that in the case 1304 of the isolated graves scattered about our coasts the wooden crosses at present existing are not allowed to deteriorate pending the erection of the new headstones?
§ Mr. HODGESYes. I think that the War Graves Commission are giving particular attention to my hon. Friend's point.