§ 85. Mr. Anthony Greenwoodasked the Secretary of State for War, when he expects to be able to reply to the letters sent to him by the honourable Member for Heywood and Radcliffe on 8th May and 17th May, asking him to reconsider as a matter of urgency the case of 13808230 Private J. Redondo, a Spanish citizen who volunteered for service in the British Forces in 1940, and who, although he has a wife and child in this country, has been told that he is being sent to Italy this month for demobilisation.
§ Mr. LawsonMy hon. Friend will no doubt have received the letter which was sent to him on 31st May informing him that it will now be possible for this man to be released in this country.
§ Mr. GreenwoodMay I ask my right hon. Friend whether he will impress upon the officers responsible for the unfortunate decision originally taken in this case the importance of basing their future decisions on grounds of humanity and commonsense and the conservation of public finance?
§ Mr. LawsonIn view of the suggestion of my hon. Friend, I will make further investigations about this matter.
§ Mr. Sydney SilvermanIs the decision in this case an individual one or does it depend on policy? In the later case may we know whether all soldiers serving in the British Forces, wherever they were enlisted, are entitled to be demobilised in this country?
§ Mr. LawsonYes, Sir, I made an announcement upon that matter, I believe last week. As it was such an important answer I am sorry that it had to be a written one, but the House can take it that men who enlisted on British Service engagements can now, if they wish, be demobilised in this country.
§ Mr. Wilfrid RobertsWhat steps are being taken to make that decision widely known to the men concerned?
§ Mr. LawsonI would say that the best possible steps have been taken today. I know of no better broadcasting station) than the House of Commons.