§ 51. Mr. Granville Sharpasked the Minister of Agriculture how many German prisoners of war are now under the control of the West Riding War Agricultural Executive Committee; whether all these are now employed in agriculture; and Low many are billeted on the farmers who employ them.
§ Mr. T. WilliamsThe number of prisoners of war attached to agricultural camps in the West Riding on 31st January last was 2,343. At that date, 1,251 of these were actually working in agriculture, including 246 in farm billets.
§ Mr. SharpCan my right hon. Friend say who decides which farmers shall be allowed to have German prisoners engaged in agriculture?
§ Mr. WilliamsI suppose the county agricultural executive committee do their test to arrange whether German prisoners should be billeted, according to the length of period of service which the prisoners are to put in on particular farms.
§ Mr. SharpIs my right hon. Friend satisfied that no undue influence is brought to bear in this matter?
§ Mr. WilliamsI should hope not.
§ 60. Mr. Sharpasked the Minister of Agriculture what circumstances decide which German prisoners of war, employed in agriculture, shall be billeted on the farms on which they work; and whether family circumstances, such as placing a man near to the home of his British wife, are taken into consideration when his choice is made.
§ Mr. T. WilliamsPrisoners of war are selected for farm billets from the nearest camp on the basis of their conduct records, agricultural experience and suitability. Under instructions issued by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for War, prisoners of war married to British wives may be allocated to camps in the area in which their wives are living. If a prisoner asked to be billeted on a farm in order to be near his wife's home, his request would be borne in mind, should an appropriate vacancy occur. New billeting of prisoners has, however, virtually ceased.
§ Mr. SharpIf I send my right hon. Friend details of a case where this does not apply, will he take action in the matter?
§ Mr. WilliamsI shall be very happy to do so.
§ Mr. CollinsIn cases where the number of prisoners selected to be billeted on farms is found to be very much below the demand, could my right hon. Friend take steps to consider any increase in the allocation?
§ Mr. WilliamsSurely, if any county agricultural executive found themselves short of prisoners of war, and there was no British or other labour available, they would make application to the Ministry of Labour or the Secretary of State for War to ensure that sufficient prisoners of war were made available.
§ Mr. CollinsIs my right hon. Friend aware that the county executive of Somerset are already compelled to refuse applications for prisoner-of-war labour because they have reached the limit of the numbers allocated to them, and cannot let the farmers have any more billetees?
§ Mr. WilliamsMy hon. Friend will be aware that repatriation of prisoners of war is going on at a sizeable rate at the moment, and that there will be, and must be, fewer prisoners of war available in the months that lie ahead than there are at the present moment.