§ 36. Mr. Pickthornasked the Secretary of State for War why he took more than five weeks to reply to a letter concerning the availability of evidence to a prisoner asking leave to appeal.
§ Mr. BellengerThis is not an Army case and before a reply could be sent it was necessary to ascertain the exact nature of the prisoner's request and to obtain legal advice on the procedure to be followed.
§ Mr. PickthornCan the Secretary of State for War assure us that there are standing orders in his Department for treating different classes of correspondence with a differential urgency, and that a very high priority is given to letters affecting legal process?
§ Mr. BellengerI would not like to give a specific answer to that question without examining it in greater detail in the Department. I shall endeavour to give great urgency and priority to all hon. Members' letters.