§ 6. Mr. Dribergasked the Secretary of State for War if his attention has been called to the fact that a number of British 11 Fascists have recently been sentenced to terms of imprisonment for helping escaped German prisoners; and if he will consider circulating to commandants of camps a list of active members of Fascist organisations, instructing them that it is undesirable that offers of hospitality to prisoners should be accepted from such persons, or take other steps to ensure that his relaxations of the regulations concerning prisoners are not abused in this way.
§ Mr. BellengerThe answer to the first part of this Question is "Yes, Sir," but this fact cannot be attributed to the permission given to prisoners of war to accept offers of hospitality, since the prisoners of war in question escaped and were harboured some months before the relaxations were introduced. Everything possible will be done to ensure that prisoners do not make contact with undesirable persons and particular houses are already. in appropriate cases, put out of bounds, but, of course, the increased freedom now allowed to prisoners of war necessarily involves some risk of their making undesirable contacts.