HC Deb 27 July 1943 vol 391 cc1379-81
23. Captain Poole

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he is aware that Italian prisoners of war employed in the Tamworth district are able freely to purchase in their canteen matches, razor blades, hair cream, and other articles which are not available to the civilian population; and will he see that, in giving humane treatment to such prisoners, they are not placed in a more advantageous position than the civil population in these matters?

Sir J. Grigg

Canteens for prisoners of war are allotted very limited supplies of the articles mentioned by my hon. and gallant Friend. In the case referred to, it appears that the two prisoners concerned obtained much more than their share of the supplies in their canteen, and their fellow prisoners must, therefore, have gone short. This is being further investigated.

Captain Poole

Does the Minister realise that the public feel very strongly on this matter, and will he see that there is no further coddling of these prisoners, which is definitely going on?

Sir J. Grigg

I think the hon. and gallant Member might await the result of the investigation which I mentioned.

42. Sir John Mellor

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he will make a statement with regard to the despatch of food parcels addressed to individual prisoners of war?

Sir J. Grigg

As the answer is rather long, I will, with my hon. Friend's permission, circulate a statement in the OFFICIAL REPORT.

Following is the statement

Having in mind experience from the last war, His Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom have consistently refused permission for the despatch of individually addressed food parcels to prisoners of war, and they have the agreement and support of all His Majesty's Governments in this policy. They have also discouraged despatch of such parcels from other countries to British prisoners of war. This policy was announced in the Press in November, 1940, and again in November, 1942.

As the House is aware, the War Organisation of the British Red Cross and Order of St. John despatches to camps in Europe through the International Red Cross Committee food parcels on a scale which should provide one for each man each week. On the whole, the aim of getting one parcel a week to each man has been achieved, though success has not been complete (largely owing to transport difficulties between Geneva and the camps). To permit additional food to be despatched addressed to individuals would lead to waste of food; and there is evidence that enemy Governments would not hesitate to use any such waste as an excuse for reducing the already inadequate rations supplied by them. Moreover, transport between this country and the camps is already heavily loaded with essential traffic, and any unnecessary addition to this traffic would tend to cause delays and interruptions in the regular supply.

The standard food parcels despatched by the British Red Cross are carefully designed to provide an adequate supplement to the rations provided by the enemy Governments together with a reasonable variety of food.

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