§ 49. Mr. T. Dribergasked the Prime Minister what action is taken in regard to the pay, allowances, and personal effects of Service men taken prisoner in the Korean war, including men originally reported missing or killed and subsequently unofficially reported to be prisoners; and what special arrangements are made for the maintenance and welfare of the families of these men.
§ The Prime MinisterPay and allowances continue to be credited to a prisoner's account. Dependent relatives receive the same allowances and allotments from pay as they were getting before the man was taken prisoner. The welfare organisations would consider sympathetically cases of particular hardship. Personal effects are sent to the next of kin or other authorised representative. This also applies to men reported missing or killed and later presumed to be prisoners.
§ Mr. DribergCould the right hon. Gentleman say whether he has yet been able to look into the matter which he was good enough the other day to say that he would look into—the question of paying some part of the special Korea gratuity to the families of these men?
§ The Prime MinisterI will look into it and I will write to the hon. Gentleman on the point. If he is not satisfied perhaps he will put another Question on the Paper.
§ 55. Mr. John Profumoasked the Prime Minister whether His Majesty's Government will make representations through the appropriate channels to ensure that the Commander-in-Chief, United Nations Forces in Korea, shall not authorise the issue of statements affecting the lives and safety of large numbers of British troops without prior consultation with the senior British military representative in that theatre.
§ 63. Mr. J. Rankinasked the Minister of Defence if he will make representations to the United Nations Organisation to ensure that official statements concerning the lives of British prisoners of war shall not be issue before he has been consulted.
§ The Prime MinisterThe nature of General Ridgway's statement of 17th November, which has been fully reported 378 in the Press, shows that no such representations were or are needed.
§ Mr. RankinBut in view of the fact that these Press statements do and must cause a great amount of distress amongst the relatives of missing men, does the right hon. Gentleman not consider it advisable in these circumstances that he should be consulted before these statements are made public?
§ The Prime MinisterI really do not think I could lay down that principle. The great mass of the Forces engaged in Korea are provided by the United States. The overwhelming sacrifices of blood loss has fallen upon them. The general commanding, in whom we have gathering and growing confidence, General Ridgway, has himself rebuked an utterance which he considered was calculated to cause unnecessary alarm and despondency, and has himself given out figures which are much more moderate and much more authoritative, but, nevertheless, extremely painful.
§ Mr. ProfumoIs my right hon. Friend aware that when the original announcement was made it was made by a junior officer at General Ridgway's headquarters about these atrocities to prisoners, and it was at that time assumed that those may have affected British lives? Lest that sort of situation does arise again in future, will my right hon. Friend make representations that this sort of announcement should not be made without consultation with the senior British representative in the theatre or the command?
§ The Prime MinisterI do not think I can make any further statement on that point.