§ 72. Mr. Edmund Harveyasked the Home Secretary the numbers of interned aliens released from internment under the different categories provided in the White Paper up to the latest convenient date; and the number of men and women still interned?
§ Mr. PeakeThe number of releases authorised under the White Paper procedure up to the end of last week was 9,816. I will circulate the figures for each category in the OFFICIAL REPORT. Approximately 7,000 men and 3,000 women are still interned in this country.
§ Mr. HarveyWill the figures include the internees in the Dominions?
§ Mr. PeakeNo, Sir. The figures I have given are of people interned in this country. Approximately 6,000 internees have been sent overseas.
§ Mr. HarveyHow many of the internees sent overseas have been released?
§ Miss RathboneMay we have, in the course of the proceedings, particulars of the internees released?
| Following are the figures: | ||||
| Category | Germans and Austrains | Italians | Total | |
| Male | Female | Male | ||
| 1 | 225 | 8 | 13 | 246 |
| 2 | 317 | 18 | 26 | 361 |
| 3 | 3,846 | 186 | 441 | 4,473 |
| 4 | 39 | — | 3 | 42 |
| 5 | 19 | 7 | 1 | 27 |
| 6 | 360 | 3 | 10 | 373 |
| 7 | 301 | — | — | 301 |
| 8 | 227 | 2 | 12 | 241 |
| 9 | 75 | — | 1 | 76 |
| 10 | 37 | — | — | 37 |
| 11 | 12 | — | 20 | 32 |
| 12 | 1,568 | — | 156 | 1,724 |
| 13 | 69 | 2 | — | 71 |
| 14 | 28 | — | 3 | 31 |
| 15 | 49 | — | 26 | 75 |
| 16 | 33 | 8 | 4 | 45 |
| 17 | 473 | 82 | 6 | 561 |
| 18 | 342 | 349 | 35 | 726 |
| *19 | 103 | 6 | 3 | 112 |
| *20 | 36 | — | 1 | 37 |
| *21 | 75 | — | 3 | 78 |
| *22 | 29 | — | 117 | 146 |
| *23 | — | — | 1 | 1 |
| †Total | 8,263 | 671 | 882 | 9,816 |
| * These categories were added after the original issue of the White Paper and many internees who would have been eligible under one of them had already been released under one of the earlier categories. | ||||
| † In addition, during the same period, 54 male and 226 female Germans and Austrians and 34 Italians have been released as special cases outside the White Paper procedure. |
§ 78. Sir I. Alberyasked the Home Secretary whether he is aware that there is much anxiety among friendly aliens who are still in internment lest their continued internment should prejudice their reputation and future in the eyes of the authorities, the public and prospective 181 employers; and whether His Majesty's Government can give any assurance which would allay this anxiety?
§ Mr. PeakeIt has been stated on several occasions that the general measures of internment which it has been necessary to take in the interests of national security were of a precautionary character and that they were not intended to make, and did not in fact make, any reflection on any loyal and friendly alien who was interned in pursuance of general directions. I gladly reaffirm that this is still the attitude and the considered view of His Majesty's Government. Under a scheme which involves scrutiny of each case individually some persons necessarily obtain their release earlier than others, and the fact that one internee is released before another does not imply that he is more loyal or reliable than the man whose release is deferred. Except in the case of persons detained on security grounds personal to themselves, internees not yet released have no reason to fear that their reputation or future will be prejudiced by their continued internment.
§ Mr. LipsonCan my hon. Friend say by what date he hopes to be able to say that no friendly and loyal alien is still detained?
§ Mr. PeakeWe are making very rapid progress, and, as I informed the hon. Member for the Combined English Universities (Mr. Harvey), over 10,000 aliens have already been released.
§ Miss RathboneIs the hon. Gentleman aware that there are many aliens who were interned on public security grounds and whose cases also require consideration?
§ Mr. PeakeI am sure that the hon Lady does not expect me to answer, in reply to a supplementary to-day, a Question which she has on the Order Paper for the next Sitting Day.