HC Deb 08 July 1953 vol 517 cc1216-7
2. Mr. Hale

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Defence what payments have been made to any defence authority in respect of the transport home of the bodies of deceased military, naval or Air Force personnel by the relatives of the deceased during any recent period of 12 months.

Mr. Birch

Transport charges amounting to £170 have been received by the War Office and Air Ministry in respect of 34 payments by relatives during the past 12 months for the repatriation of bodies of Service men who died in the British Zone of Germany.

Mr. Hale

Is the Parliamentary Secretary aware that in two cases in the Oldham area in the last week demands have been made for the payment of the sum of £100 in each case, and that in each case the money has had to be borrowed by the relatives, and that, therefore, subscriptions are being asked to refund the money to the Ministry?

Mr. Birch

Of course I am aware of that. The figure I gave in answer to the hon. Gentleman's Question was how much the Service Departments had received, and the only amounts they have received are certain transport charges within the British Zone of Germany which are reimbursable. Other costs are payable to the agency which carries out the transport.

3. Mr. Hale

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Defence in what circumstances, and under what code of rules or regulations, arrangements are made for the transportation home, at the public expense, of the bodies of defence personnel killed on service in Western Europe.

Mr. Birch

The practice in all three Services is as stated by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for War yesterday.

Mr. Hale

Yes, that is a bad practice. Would the hon. Gentleman tell the House why it is that, having taken these men, and being under an obligation to return them and to bring them back free of cost when they are alive, the Department refuses now to bring them back free of cost when they lose their life on service?

Mr. Birch

This, as the hon. Gentleman knows, has been the practice always in the Services, and I really have nothing to add to the explanations my right hon. Friend gave yesterday, or, indeed, to those the right hon. Gentleman the Member for Easington (Mr. Shinwell) made when he was Secretary of State for War.

Mr. Shinwell

Yes, but while that is true, is the hon. Gentleman not aware that efforts were made when we were in office to persuade the agency responsible for transport to reduce their charges? What has resulted from those efforts?

Mr. Birch

That is a matter to which my right hon. Friend referred yesterday I understand that considerable success has been obtained in reducing charges.