§ Mr. TOUCHEasked the Postmaster-General if he is aware that complaint is made of the delay in forwarding letters from marines interned in Holland; that a letter acknowledging money was written from Groningen on 20th October but had not been received on 29th October, as a letter was received in Holland bearing that date stating that no acknowledgement of the money had been received; that letters are detained by the Censor and returned after a lapse of ten or more days because they contain one small paragraph of personal experiences in Antwerp such as were published in British papers many days before, while some undelivered letters are not returned, causing friends to think their letters are being ignored; and can he do anything to diminish unnecessary inconvenience?
§ Mr. HOBHOUSESo far as the Post Office is concerned there is no delay in the delivery of correspondence received from officers or men interned in Holland. The arrangements for the censorship of such correspondence are not under my control.
§ Mr. NEEDHAMasked the Prime Minister whether he will consider the 228W granting of allowances to the widows and dependants of officers and seamen of the mercantile marine who are sufferers owing to the operations of war, as in the case of the "Manchester Commerce"?
§ The PRIME MINISTERI will give careful consideration to the point raised by my hon. Friend; but, as he is doubtless aware, the case of dependants of seamen on merchant ships who lose their lives at sea is already to a considerable extent met under the Workmen's Compensation Act.