HC Deb 08 December 1955 vol 547 cc529-30
7 and 8. Mr. Langford-Holt

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many former Polish citizens who are ex-members of the Polish forces under General Anders, but who were previously conscripted during the occupation of Poland into the German armed forces, have been granted certificates of naturalisation;

(2) how many former members of the German armed forces have been granted certificates of naturalisation.

Major Lloyd-George

I regret that this information is not available.

Mr. Langford-Holt

Does that mean that no statistics are kept of the number of Poles who are naturalised, the number of ex-members of the Polish forces who are naturalised, or the number of Poles who were former members of the Polish forces who were temporarily conscripted into the German Army and are now naturalised British subjects?

Major Lloyd-George

Figures showing the total number from Poland, Germany and Italy are available, and I can give them. In round figures, since the war there have been 16,000 of Polish nationality, 16,300 German and 2,400 Italian. It would be impossible to find out, as my hon. Friend asks, the number who were previously conscripted into the German armed forces, because it would mean going through about 35,000 files, and even then one would not know whether a man was conscripted or whether he volunteered.

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