§ 19. Mr. Skeffington-Lodgeasked the Secretary of State for War whether his attention has been drawn to the sentence of 12 months' imprisonment imposed on Werner Wetter, a 22 year-old prisoner of war, by a court martial at Droitwich, in respect of his association with a British girl; and whether, in view of its severity and the youth and good record of the prisoner, he will have it reviewed.
§ 20. Mr. Pagetasked the Secretary of State for War whether the sentence passed by a court martial at Droitwich on Werner Wetter has yet been reviewed and with what result; and whether he will take steps to enable Werner Wetter to marry the mother of his child.
23. Mr. H. D. Hughesasked the Secretary of State for War if he will review the recent court martial sentence passed on a German prisoner of war for improper association with a British girl, to make it passible for them to marry; and if he will revise these regulations affecting prisoners of war.
§ Mr. BellengerMy attention has been drawn to the case referred to. The proceedings of the Military Court have not yet been received at the War Office, but as soon as they have been received they will be carefully examined. I am, therefore, unable to make a statement at the moment. As regards the last part of the Question by my hon. Friend the Member for West Wolverhampton (Mr. H. D. Hughes), I would ask him to await the reply which I am giving to Questions by my hon. Friends the Members for Epping (Mrs. Manning) and West Leyton (Mr. Sorensen).
§ 22. Mrs. Leah Manningasked the Secretary of State for War why his Department exercises sex discrimination against English women wishing to marry German prisoners of war, when no such embargo is placed upon marriages between British serving men and German girls.
§ 26. Mr. Sorensenasked the. Secretary of State for War whether a decision has now been reached respecting the possibility of German prisoners of war marrying girls in this country; whether German prisoners 2014 of war who become fathers of children born in this country will be given opportunity to meet financial obligations arising from their paternity by receiving adequate pay for their work; and if he will state the prisoner-of-war regulations respecting sexual associations.
§ Mr. BellengerOn the question of marriage between German prisoners of war and British women, I would ask the House to await the reply to be given today by my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary to a Question by the hon. Member for Huntingdon (Mr. Renton) Prisoners of war regulations have hitherto forbidden prisoners to have sexual relations with British women. These regulations will now be amended to accord with the announcement to be made by my right hon. Friend. The pay of German prisoners of war is related to their status and the work which they do, and I do not see any justification for differentiation in that matter between those who become fathers of children and other prisoners of war.
Mr. H. D. HughesDoes that reply mean that the fraternisation rules in general, governing prisoners of war, are now to be amended to enable those of good conduct, who have been screened, to have normal human relations with the British public?
§ Mr. BellengerThat is about right.
§ Mr. SorensenIs not the right hon. Gentleman aware that considerable effort is being made to try to bring home responsibility to men for paternity of their children, in Germany and elsewhere? Does he not think that these German prisoners who have become fathers should be given an opportunity to earn money to carry out their financial obligations?
§ Mr. BellengerThe difficulty is that while they are prisoners of war they are governed by prisoner-of-war rules. I hope that the men who undertake paternal responsibility—and the women— will understand that.
§ Mr. SorensenDoes the right hon. Gentleman also apply that to our troops in Germany?
§ Mr. BellengerYes, Sir. I hope that our troops thoroughly understand it, and also the German women by whom they have children.
§ Mrs. ManningWill the statement which is to be made deal with the important question of marriage? My Question deals specifically with people wishing to marry. I want to know whether the statement will deal with that point; otherwise we must pursue it now.
§ Mr. BellengerYes, Sir. I said in my original reply that my right hon. Friend was making a statement today on the question of marriage.
§ Mr. ParkinShould it turn out that the Home Secretary's statement provides for relaxation of the marriage restriction, would my right hon. Friend bear in mind the desirability of amending the regulations which prevent British Service men from coming home from overseas, on compassionate grounds, to marry British girls?
§ Mr. BellengerThat is another question.
§ Mr. Skeffington-Lodge rose—
§ Mr. SpeakerWe cannot continue on this Question for ever.
§ The following Question stood upon the Order Paper:
§ 68. Mr. RENTON,—To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what are the Government's proposals with regard to German prisoners of war and British women in this country who wish to marry.
§ At the end of Questions:
§ The Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department (Mr. Oliver)With your permission, Mr. Speaker, I will reply to Question 68. My right hon. Friend has considered, in consultation with my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for War, various questions which marriage between German prisoners of war and women in this country would involve, and he is anxious that the implications of such a marriage should be fully appreciated. As the law stands, the woman, if British, would lose her nationality on marriage to a German. No provision could be made for her to live with her husband who, as a prisoner of war, would have to remain in a camp or hostel under military control; and there could be no relaxation in his favour of restrictions applicable to other prisoners of war. Moreover, no undertaking could be given that the husband would be allowed to remain in this country when he would in ordinary course 2016 be due for repatriation. If, therefore, a prisoner of war makes it known that he wishes to marry a woman who is resident here, steps will be taken to see that the considerations which I have mentioned are understood by both parties, and if, nevertheless, they determine to marry, no obstacle will be placed in their way.
§ Mr. PagetIs not the position that where prisoners of war who have been engaged in agriculture wish to remain here and farmers wish them to stay they are given permission, and will that apply to men who desire to marry?
§ Mr. OliverNo promise can be given with regard to the time when the prisoners of war are to be repatriated, and it would be improper to make a promise, that if a prisoner of war married a British girl he would be entitled to stay here.
§ Mr. Skeffington-LodgeWill the Minister relate what he has just said to the specific case mentioned in my Question No. 19 to his right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for War, about which public opinion is most seriously disturbed?
§ Mr. OliverIf my hon. Friend is referring to the case which has received a great deal of publicity, all I can say is that the statement which I have just made and the conditions contained in it would be just as applicable to the person whom he mentions as to anyone else.
§ Mr. SorensenIf a British girl marries a German prisoner of war who is subsequently repatriated to his own country, will she still be allowed to remain here if she wishes, in spite of the fact that as the result of the marriage she has become a German citizen?
§ Mr. OliverThe answer is that as a British-born subject she would be allowed to remain.
§ Mr. SymondsCan the Minister say how soon we may expect the promised legislation to enable a British woman to retain her British nationality if she wishes when marrying an alien?
§ Mr. OliverI think that my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary made a statement in August of last year about amending the law relating to the nationality of married women, but since conversation? are taking place with the Dominions on the matter, it is impossible to say at this stage precisely when legislation could be introduced.
§ Mrs. ManningCan my hon. Friend tell me whether my constituent must now make application to the Department to marry this man, or whether some step is to be taken through the War Office for the German prisoner to get into touch with her?
§ Mr. OliverThe precise procedure at the present moment I cannot possibly state. Having regard to the statement which has been made, I have no doubt that the lady in question will take the earliest possible and the proper steps to find out the right mode of procedure.
§ Mr. John PatonCannot the case be reviewed in order that the girl may be able to take those steps?
§ Mr. OliverThat is more a question for the Secretary of State for War, because there was no breach of any regulation imposed by the Home Office. I suggest that the question should be referred to my right hon. Friend.
§ Mr. Skeffington-LodgeWe cannot have all this passing the buck. Is my hon. Friend prepared to use his influence to have this disgraceful sentence of 12 months immediately quashed?
§ Mr. OliverThe concluding words of the answer which I gave were to the effect that no obstacle would be placed in their way in regard to matrimony. So, therefore, all I can say is, in view of the statement which I have made, that steps will be taken.
Mr. H. D. HughesIn view of the fact that the Secretary of State for War referred to the Home Secretary the point whether this sentence would be reviewed, can we now have a reply from one of the two Ministers concerned?
§ Mr. ChetwyndDoes my hon. Friend think that stone walls and iron bars are obstacles to getting married?
§ Mr. RankinSo far as I have been able to follow the reply, there was no reference to one condition about which I would now like to inquire. Will steps be taken to ensure, in the event of the British girl wanting to marry the German prisoner of war, that he is actually available for marriage? I am raising the point because it actually arose in the case of a constituent of mine.
§ Mr. OliverThe availability of a spouse does not seem to arise out of this answer.
§ Mr. GallacherIs it not the case that if a marriage takes place in these circumstances, it must take place in prison, which is very undesirable, because if the prisoner is allowed out in order to get married the authorities cannot take him back into prison again? I would ask the Minister whether he will arrange for the marriage to take place outside.
§ Mr. OliverThat comment is nonsense.
§ Captain CrookshankWhile the original reply which the hon. Gentleman gave is obviously fully in accord with the existing rules and regulations, may I ask him if he will take account of the feeling of the House that the present practice needs to be looked into? Will he ask the Home Secretary and the Secretary of State for War to review all these cases, and particularly will he look into the question of quashing this particular sentence?
§ Mr. OliverIn view of the statement which has been made, I should have thought it would have followed as a matter of course.
§ Mr. Hector HughesDoes the part of the Minister's reply about placing no obstacle in the way of this marriage mean that the couple may marry in prison or out of prison? Where?
§ Mr. Skeffington-LodgeOn a point of Order. Owing to the fact that the Minister's—
§ Mr. SpeakerI think the hon. Member is raising some point of Order.
§ Mr. H. D. HughesOn a point of Order. Is there any means by which the House can get a reply from the Secretary of State for War to the Question put to him early in Question Time and deferred for later answer by the Home Secretary, but to which no answer has been given?
§ Mr. BellengerPerhaps I might be allowed to remind the House that the Question put by my hon. Friends was as to the sentence imposed upon this particular prisoner of war. I then said that the proceedings had not reached the War 2019 Office but that as soon as they did reach the War Office, I would look into them. The question answered by the Under-Secretary of State in his statement was upon an entirely different matter. He has given his answer, and I have said in my answer that we would relate our regulations to his answer.
§ Mr. Skeffington-LodgeAs the Government have not come up to scratch in the matter of satisfaction, in answering this Question, I beg to give notice that I will raise the matter on the Adjournment upon the first opportunity, so as to make sure that we get an answer.