Civilian Workers (Hansard, 25 March 1948)

§ 8. Mr. Skeffington-Lodge
asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether, in relation to his recent decision that prisoners of war married to British women would be given priority consideration in the matter of remaining as civilian workers in this country, he will arrange for such men to be classified as displaced persons, so that they may be available for work in this country in all categories of employment which will not adversely affect British labour.

§ Mr. Ede
Prisoners of war married to British-born women, if and when discharged to civilian status in this country, will be subject, so far as employment is concerned, only to such controls as are applicable to British subjects, except that those discharged to agricultural employment will be expected to serve out their contracts. No question of classifying them as displaced persons arises.

§ 45. Mr. Driberg
asked the Prime Minister if he will indicate the results of the consideration by the various Departments concerned of an extension of the scheme under which German prisoners of war may remain in Britain as civilian agricultural workers; and approximately how many additional prisoners are to be retained.

§ The Prime Minister (Mr. Attlee)
County agricultural executive committees have been given discretion to exceed the authorised number of German civilians for their county to enable a farmer to retain the services of a German who has been working for him regularly as a prisoner of war, if this is essential in the interests of food production. I regret that I cannot estimate the effect of this decision in statistical terms.

§ Sir Ian Fraser
The right hon. Gentleman said "retain." Does that answer also apply to getting a man back?

§ The Prime Minister
I should need notice of that question.

§ Mr. Skeffington-Lodge
Can the Prime Minister say whether there is any possibility of extending the categories of employments in respect of which prisoners may be allowed to stay here, provided that British labour is not thereby adversely affected?

§ The Prime Minister
Not without notice.