§ 4. Mr. Manderasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he is now able to make any statement with reference to the position in the Channel Islands; whether contact has been made through the Red Cross or any other channel; and what statement he has to make with reference to the work carried out by the Channel Islands Committee presided over by Lord Justice Du Parcq?
§ 19. Mr. Ammonasked the Home Secretary whether His Majesty's Government have made any proposals for Channel Islanders to be permitted to send prisoners of war postcards to their friends and relatives on the mainland; also whether consideration has been given to the suggestion to drop leaflets from aeroplanes on the islands to show that Britain has not been destroyed by the Nazis; and what is the decision?
§ The Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department (Mr. Peake)I am glad to say that I have just received a message from the Red Cross Society indicating that there is a prospect of communication—subject to certain restrictions—being established with the Channel Islands. As soon as I receive particulars of the scheme I will make a further announcement. As regards the second part of the Question by my hon. Friend the Member for East Wolverhampton (Mr. Mander), my Department are in constant touch with the Channel Islands Refugees Committee, and I should like to take this opportunity of expressing my appreciation of the valuable work done by the Committee. I understand that while it is as yet too early for the Committee to issue a formal report, it has been most successful in finding employment for a very large number of persons who left the Channel Islands. It has assisted these unfortunate people in every way to establish themselves in this country, among other things making many grants to buy furniture and issuing many sets of clothing. One of the main tasks of the Committee has been to reunite families, and for this purpose it has compiled a register that already contains over 25,000 names both of persons who left the Channel Islands and of those who are known to have staved.
§ Mr. ManderDo the Government propose to make any grant towards the needs of those people who are being looked after by the Committee?
§ Mr. PeakeNo, Sir. So far as I am aware, the Committee is able to find the necessary funds from private sources.
§ Mr. MathersCan the hon. Gentleman say where members of the public can get information about people from the Channel Islands who are actually in this Country?
§ Mr. MathersWill the address of that committee be given?