§ 37. Mr. Skeffington-Lodgeasked the Secretary of State for War whether he will nominate representatives of the prisoners of war themselves to serve in the bodies which have been set up in each agricultural executive committee's area to decide which prisoners of war shall be allowed to remain in this country as alien civilians from among those who have volunteered to do this.
§ Mr. ShinwellThe committees, as they are at present constituted, consist of unbiased persons best qualified to judge the suitability of the individual applicants. Prisoners of war are available to give evidence to these committees.
§ Mr. Skeffington-LodgeIs my right hon. Friend aware that prisoners are very rarely called into consultation about this matter, and that those bodies about which he spoke do not function as they should? In point of fact, the camp labour officer is very often the sole judge of which prisoners shall stay here, and which shall go back to Germany. If he would consider adopting my suggestion, the prisoners' confidence in the decisions of these committees would be very greatly increased, and there would be no longer a sense of unfairness.
§ Mr. ShinwellIt is only open to us to judge the efficacy of the committee's operations by the results. As far as I am aware, no sense of unfairness has been felt as the result of their activities. However, if my hon. Friend can produce some specific complaints, I will certainly go into them.