§ Mr. KILEYasked the Secretary of State for War if he will state the number of German prisoners of war who are at present in England and what work they are engaged upon; can he state the number of British soldiers who are serving in labour companies in France; and can he say what kind of work they are engaged upon?
§ Mr. CHURCHILLThe number of German combatant prisoners of war in England is 100,358, of whom 62,697 are employed. They are employed on agriculture, drainage, forestry, quarrying, flax de-seeding, national shipyards, buildings, roads, etc. (under the Office of Works and Royal Engineers), salvage, filling in trenches (under the military authorities), cement production, hay pressing for oversea forces, routine duties in all prisoners of war camps, and on miscellaneous work.642W The number of men in labour companies in France is 61,000. These companies are employed in salvage, on roads and railways, at ammunition depôts, in docks, on the construction of demobilisation camps, and on miscellaneous labour duties.