§ 29 and 30. Mr. Stokesasked the Secretary of State for War (1), how many of the German prisoners of war still detained in North Africa belonged to No. 999 German Division; and how many of that number had spent three years or more in German concentration camps before being forced into the German army;
(2) how many German prisoners of war are still detained in North Africa and when it is expected to repatriate them to their own country.
§ 88. Mr. Derek Walker-Smithasked the Secretary of State for War whether the arrangements for repatriation of German prisoners of war apply to prisoners at present in the Middle East; and, if so, on what terms and conditions.
§ The Secretary of State for War (Mr. Bellenger)As explained on 4th June, in a reply to a Question by my hon. Friend the Member for West Coventry (Mr. Edelman), separate statistics relating to 999 Division are not available and could not be obtained without a considerable amount of labour. In dealing with repatriation, however, full regard is paid to the individual records of prisoners of war. There are at present about 98,000 German and 5,000 Austrian prisoners of war detained in the Middle East Command, of whom 2,000 anti-Nazi Germans and all the Austrians are to be repatriated as shipping becomes available. It has not yet been found possible to bring the Middle East within the scope of the scheme decided upon for the United Kingdom but an accelerated programme on the lines of that authorised for the United Kingdom will be introduced as soon as circumstances permit.
§ Mr. StokesIs not my right hon. Friend aware that these camp officials have very little to do? Surely, it is possible for them to ascertain all about every prisoner under their control. Will he give the House an assurance that those people who are well-known anti-Nazis, as all these fellows are, will be given as speedy release as possible?
§ Mr. BellengerI think I can give the assurance for which my hon. Friend asks, that they will be given as speedy a release as possible, but the matter is not so easy to deal with as is the case of prisoners in this country.
§ Mr. Benn LevyIs my right hon. Friend satisfied that the repatriations, when they are completed in June, will cover all members of the 999 Division?
§ Mr. BellengerThey will take their turn. As I have said, we hope to expedite the arrangements for these men almost concurrently with the arrangements we are making for prisoners, a much larger number, who have to go from this country back to Germany.
§ Major Legge-BourkeWill the Secretary of State give an assurance that the release of these men in the Middle East is not beng delayed in order to complete the course in crypto Communism to which they are being subjected by the P.I.D.?
§ Mr. BellengerI was not aware of that fact, if such it be.
§ Mr. EdelmanIs it not a fact that these men of the 999 Division were among the first opponents of Nazism in Germany and, therefore, is it not just that whatever the labour involved in order to avoid an injustice, even to a single man, the necessary research should be made?
§ Mr. BellengerYes, Sir, many of them were, and we will do our best to get them home as speedily as possible.
§ Mr. James HudsonIn view of the fact that all the Austrian prisoners were found to be satisfactory, would my right hon. Friend give some preferential treatment to the Austrians, who have been labouring under a special grievance in this matter?
§ Mr. BellengerYes, Sir, they will get some preferential treatment.
§ Mr. StokesMay I ask my right hon. Friend, in view of the expressions this afternoon, if he will give instructions that these people should be sorted out, as there are plenty of staff and plenty of time to do it?
§ Mr. BellengerI do not know if there is plenty of staff to do it—I do not think so—but I will see that these prisoners are sorted out, as my hon. Friend suggests.