§ 51. Mr. Stokesasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much money is being received by His Majesty's Government as a result of the hire of German prisoners of war to agriculture and industry reckoned on the difference between a hire price of £4 per week average and the approximate cost of 30s. a week to cover bare wages and keep and whether he will show a separate item for this revenue in his next Budget statement.
§ The Chancellor of the Exchequer (Mr. Dalton)I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply given to the hon. Member for Monmouth (Mr. P. Thorneycroft) on 25th June, to which I have nothing to add. The answer to the second part of the Question is "No. Sir."
§ Mr. StokesIs my right hon. Friend aware that the wages received by these people are purely nominal, that the clear cost of upkeep, as given in answer to a Question in this House, is 23s. a week? Is he further aware that it is laid down in the Geneva Convention that their accounts are to be credited with a proportion of the wages for which they work, and that that is not being done? Will my right hon. Friend make a statement about it?
§ Mr. DaltonYes, Sir, I will make a statement. I anticipate that I shall make a loss on the deal. As was explained to the hon. Member for Monmouth in the answer which I have cited, we are 1045 providing in the Army Estimates for the receipt of £36 million in respect of the services of enemy prisoners of war. He continued:
I do not expect this estimated receipt to cover the maintenance and other expenses to the Exchequer."—[OFFICIAL REPORT. 25th June. 1946: vol. 424. C. 151.)
§ Mr. Skeffington-LodgeCould not the whole situation be considerably simplified if these prisoners were returned as soon as possible to their homes?
§ Mr. DaltonIt would be simplified to the extent that our harvest would suffer.
§ Mr. Sydney SilvermanWould my right hon. Friend consider the advisability of having a special account and making a special statement in order to make certain that we are not making a profit out of the retention of these people?
§ Mr. DaltonI would sooner make a profit than a loss.
§ Mr. StokesIs this not an exceptional departure, and is it not a fact that nothing of this sort was done in the last war? This is a most unusual precedent and is really equivalent to the employment of slave labour.