§ 13. Major-General Sir Alfred Knoxasked the Secretary of State for War whether he is satisfied with the use of the port of Marseilles as a landing place for parcels for our prisoners of war or whether he is considering another route?
§ Captain MargessonThe use of Marseilles has been satisfactory, and there has not, so far, been any appreciable congestion or delay there. No other port is being considered at present. Parcels are still going by rail via Lisbon, Madrid and Basle, and an experimental route has been inaugurated via Lisbon, Madrid, Occupied France and Cologne.
§ 14 and 15. Sir A. Knoxasked the Secretary of State for war (1) what is the number of parcels for prisoners of war that have been moved from Lisbon to Marseilles;
§ (2) whether he will give the total number of food parcels and the total number of clothing parcels handed over by the British Red Cross Society to the General Post Office from 1st July till the latest date available; the total number of parcels of each category passed over the German frontier in the same period; and can he state where the balance of the parcels now lies?
§ Captain MargessonDuring the months July, 1940, to January, 1941, inclusive, 714,800 food parcels and 29,400 clothing parcels were handed over to the General Post Office. During the same period, 151,711 food parcels and 1,122 clothing parcels have been forwarded from Geneva to the camps in Germany. As regards the balance and on such information as is available at present, I can give my hon. and gallant Friend the following figures for parcels of all kinds:
| Despatched from Basle to the camps in Germany up to 4th October, 1940 | 85,000 |
| Lost through enemy action | 16,000 |
| At Marseilles | 58,000 |
| En route—Lisbon to Marseilles | 63,000 |
| En route—United Kingdom to Marseilles | 27,000 |
| At Lisbon | 174,000 |
| En route—United Kingdom to Lisbon | 165,000 |
§ Sir A. KnoxWill the parcels that are now at Lisbon be sent to Marseilles or across Spain?
§ Captain MargessonWe shall use whatever routes are open to us, either Marseilles, according to the number of ships we can employ, or, if some of the parcels can be sent across Spain, that route will be used also. We want to get the parcels on their way as soon as possible.
§ Mr. LawsonHas the Minister any information at his disposal as to whether the ordinary rank and file in the prisoners' camps are receiving the parcels that are sent?
§ Captain MargessonI am always willing to give to the House information on the number of parcels that are actually re 1209 ceived. I recognise how anxious the House is about this matter. Whenever I get information I am only too willing to give it to the House.
§ Mr. LawsonIs the Minister aware that it is stated that in many cases the rank and file are working in mines in various parts of the country? Has he any means of getting to know whether the parcels reach these men?
§ Captain MargessonI have not that information at the moment. If the hon. Member will put down a Question on the matter, I will do my best to see whether I can give him the information.