§ Mr. O'Brienasked the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how long is there to be military control of Germany; and whether there is any intention on the part of the Government to instal a system of civilian control that will assist in the development of democratic organisations in the country.
§ Mr. J. HyndIn the initial stages of the occupation, the Army and the Control Authorities in Germany were necessarily closely interwoven. The British Element of the Control Commission still is largely dependent on the British Army of the Rhine, for a multitude of services, e.g. transport, messing and supplies. The British Element of the Control Commission already has a large civilian contingent and it is being increased as rapidly as civilians can berecruited to the Control Service. I cannot at present say when the process of civilianisation will be complete. Meanwhile, it is the policy in the British zone to make Germans govern Germans, subject to the control of the British authorities, to the maximum extent possible, and everything is being done to encourage the development of a sound democratic spirit in the country and to foster the growth of political parties with democratic ideals.