16. Mr. GILBERTasked the Under-Secretary of State for War if he will state the number of completed cemeteries in Belgium and France and the total approximate number of graves on which stones have now been fixed, and give any estimate of the number of cemeteries and graves which have yet to be completed in these countries?
The UNDER-SECRETARY of STATE for WAR (Lieut.-Colonel Guinness)As the answer is rather long, I will, with the hon. Member's permission, circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT.
§ Following is the answer:
§ The figures required by the hon. Member are as follows:
| Larger cemeteries in which architectural and constructional work is complete, and in which headstones are wholly or partly erected | 108 |
| Smaller cemeteries complete with headstones | 240 |
| Larger cemeteries now under construction | 278 |
| Larger cemeteries for which tenders are being invited in the immediate future | 86 |
| Larger cemeteries still to be constructed, estimated at | 440 |
| Smaller cemeteries still to be completed, estimated at | 1,748 |
| (Note.—The smaller cemeteries referred to are those in which the number of graves is not sufficient to make any special constructional or architectural treatment necessary.) | |
| Number of headstones erected on graves, or in cemeteries awaiting erection | 121,000 |
| Total estimated number of graves in France and Belgium on which headstones have yet to be erected | 396,000 |
17. Mr. GILBERTasked the Under-Secretary of State for War whether it was the custom to allow the near relatives of any soldier buried in France or Germany to have free the wooden cross or other simple memorial erected on the original graves when they were rearranged; whether this practice has recently been stopped and, if so, will he state why; and will he consider as to continuing the old method of allowing the soldiers' relatives to obtain these simple memorials of the original graves?
Lieut.-Colonel GUINNESSApplications for the return of wooden crosses received up till 17th October last will be complied with. This date was finally fixed after several extensions of time. It has not been possible to make provision in the Estimates this year for continuing this practice, but arrangements have been made to allow relatives to obtain delivery in the cemeteries on production of written authority, which can he obtained (together 1051 with the names of agents willing to act) on application to the Secretary, Imperial War Graves Commission, 82, Baker Street, W.1.