§ Mr. Sorensenasked the Home Secretary the estimated weekly cost of maintaining internees; and whether they will be given an opportunity of engaging in employment for the good of this country and themselves during their internment?
§ Mr. PeakeThe primary object of internment must be to secure safe custody. Subject to this overriding consideration, there will be general agreement as to the desirability of trying to find—so far as may be practicable—useful employment for those interned, but obviously the conditions of internment impose severe limitations on the opportunities of such employment. It is not at present possible to give an estimate of the cost, which must vary according to the size of the establishments and the number of persons interned.
§ Mr. Sorensenasked the Home Secretary how many Czech, Norwegian, Dutch, Danish, Belgian, Polish and French aliens have been interned; whether these aliens will be subject indefinitely to the same restrictions as other aliens; and whether he has any information as to whether restrictions apply to British subjects in Northern Norway and France?
§ Mr. PeakeThe only aliens whose internment can be ordered merely on the ground of nationality are nationals of a State with which His Majesty is at war. Aliens of other nationalities can only be 857W interned either under Defence Regulation 18B, which applies to any persons falling within its provisions whether they are aliens or British subjects, or under Regulation 20A, which enables the Secretary of State to direct the detention of an alien against whom a Deportation Order has been made if war conditions prevent the execution of the Deportation Order. Accordingly, the number of aliens of the nationalities mentioned in the Question who have been interned is small. Each case has been considered individually by my right hon. Friend, and detention has been ordered only if he is satisfied that this is necessary for the purposes of public safety or the defence of the realm. I will inform the hon. Member of the precise numbers so interned as soon as possible. The last part of the Question does not arise, because, as will be seen from my answer, there is, in the application of Regulation 18B, no differentiation between aliens and British subjects.