§ 18. Mr. Thomas Reidasked the Minister of Transport if he will arrange transport for 700 civilians at Colombo awaiting passages to Britain.
§ Mr. BarnesMy latest information from Ceylon shows that 408 civilians were awaiting passage home on 25th April. During March, 240 passengers were lifted, and in April a further 175. In view of the general acute shortage of passenger space, these figures show a reasonable lift of Ceylon's requirements. Further opportunities are being arranged as and when practicable, having regard to our limited resources and similar requirements on other routes.
§ 29. Captain Marsdenasked the Minister of Transport whether he will arrange for inquiry to be made of the civilians awaiting passage home from India to ascertain how many are prepared to accept trooping accommodation and messing arrangements and, when a sufficient number of volunteers are forthcoming, if he will allocate a troopship for the voyage.
§ Mr. BarnesThe authorities in India are already alive to this means of providing homeward passages for civilians and no special inquiry is necessary. Civilians awaiting passage are accommodated in troopdecks to the fullest extent practicable and every opportunity is taken by the authorities of this method of transporting homeward passengers.
§ Captain MarsdenWill.the Minister allocate one ship for passengers only? 12 Does he realise that a large number of civilians, with children, in India, who have been there for years, are anxious to get home?
§ Mr. BarnesAs I have explained to Members previously, most of our liners are occupied in trooping our own soldiers to this country, and these programmes are arranged equitably in relation to the various competing claims.
§ Mr. Godfrey NicholsonDoes the Minister mean by his reply that his Department regards the present situation with any complacency at all? Does he realise that this is one of the gravest scandals of a minor nature in the Empire? People have been out there for years.
§ Mr. BarnesIt is not a question of complacency in the least. The shipping resources of this country are carrying exceedingly heavy burdens, and these obligations have to be discharged with an equitable consideration of the many competing demands.
§ Mr. NicholsonThis is certainly not equitable.
§ Mr. Henderson StewartDoes not the Minister agree that the special and peculiar needs of these people require and deserve special measures to meet their case?
§ Mr. BarnesI wish to emphasise that everything possible is being done, especially in regard to India, and the claims of India are considered in fair proportion to the claims of other parts of the Empire.