§ 34 and 35. Mr. Turtonasked the Secretary of State for War (1) how many officers and soldiers sentenced to terms of imprisonment or penal servitude for offences involving desertion or cowardice in the face of the enemy have been repatriated to the United Kingdom to serve the remainder of then-sentence there;
(2) how many officers and soldiers sentenced to terms of imprisonment or penal servitude in the Middle East have been repatriated to the United Kingdom to serve the remainder of their sentence there?
§ Sir J. GriggThirteen officers sentenced to imprisonment or penal servitude have been sent back to this country from the Middle East to serve the rest of their sentences here. Three of these were sentenced for offences involving cowardice or desertion. I regret that the number of other ranks is not readily available.
§ Mr. TurtonIn view of the difficulty of shipping, which the right hon. Gentleman mentioned earlier, will he reconsider his policy of sending these men who have not been successful in action back to this country? Ought not those who have strong compassionate grounds for getting leave and who have been abroad for a long time to come back before these men?
§ Sir J. GriggI will certainly consider that point, but I can see a good many powerful arguments against it, and I do not believe that the numbers involved would make any material contribution to this terribly difficult problem of leave.
§ Mr. TurtonIs my right hon. Friend aware that troops fighting in the desert think a very great deal about this and are worried about it?