§ Lord H. CAVENDISH - BENTINCKasked the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether the Russian Prisoners of War Help Committee was notified by the Foreign Office on 15th January that the delivery of parcels to sick Russian prisoners was prohibited after 31st January; whether subsequently, as a result of correspondence, the privilege of sending parcels was extended to 15th February up to the limit of the previous monthly average; whether he is aware that, owing to present conditions in Russia, Russian prisoners in Germany are cut off from receiving any supplies or support from their own country, and that officers and men who have fought gallantly in the cause of the Allies are abandoned because of the circumstances of a revolution and the conditions of a government in which they have no share and for which they have no responsibility; whether he is aware that the records of the Russian Prisoners of War Help Committee go to prove that supplies provided by them have reached the Russian prisoners, and that these records are at the disposal of His Majesty's Government for inspection and scrutiny; and whether he proposes to take any action in the matter?
Mr. HOPEIt is the case that, after consultation with the Departments concerned, it has not been found possible to continue after the 15th instant the dispatch of supplies from this country to Russian prisoners of war in Germany. This country, however, is not the only source from which supplies can be sent to Russian prisoners—if the term be still applicable—and if they do not receive supplies from other sources that is due to causes for which His Majesty's Government are not responsible. I do not feel that in the present circumstances, and in 307W view of home supplies and requirements, the dispatch of food from this country to Russian prisoners in Germany would be either practicable or justifiable. I may add that His Majesty's Government have evidence that the supplies in question not infrequently fall into enemy hands.
§ Mr. HUME-WILLIAMSasked the hon. Member for Sheffield (Central Division) what is the present state of the negotiations with reference to an exchange of prisoners between Turkey and England; and whether the agreement recently reached at Berne between British and Turkish representatives has yet been ratified?
Mr. J. HOPENo news has yet been received of the ratification by the Turkish Government of the Agreement signed at Berne relative to prisoners of war.
§ Lord H. CAVENDISH - BENTINCKasked the hon. Member for Sheffield (Central Division) whether, in view of the fact that the Governments of neutral countries have raised no objection to the dispatch of parcels of foodstuffs to British prisoners of war and interned civilians, the Prisoners of War Department will reconsider their decision to prohibit the dispatch of such parcels, a prohibition which would inflict unnecessary hardship on our prisoners, who rely upon supplies from neutral countries to supplement parcels from England now cut down to a minimum; and whether they will take into consideration the fact that parcels from England are liable to far greater delays in transit and therefore reach their destination far more irregularly than parcels from neutral countries, thus constituting a far less reliable source of supply?
Mr. J. HOPEThis question is full of difficulty. It has constantly been considered, and is now under review in the hope of devising some scheme which may to some extent meet the desire of my Noble Friend.