§ 73. Sir G. Foxasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he will give particulars of the response to his appeal on 14th February to employers in Malaya to adopt towards those of their employees who were interned the same policy as the Government with regard to the compensation of civil servants who were captured and interned; and whether, in view of the financial inability of some employers to compensate their employees as generously as the Government, he will agree to provide half the cost of compensating all employees on the same terms as civil servants, provided that the employer is prepared to bear the cost of the other half.
§ Mr. Georģe Hall:As regards the first part of the Question, I have reason to believe that some employers have decided to pay the full salary of those of their staff who were interned, but the statement which I made on 14th February did not invite employers to inform me of their action in this regard, and I am therefore not in a position to estimate its effect. I regret that I do not regard it as possible to adopt the suggestion in the last part of the Question.
§ Sir G. Foxasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies to what extent the Government are prepared to provide free passages to the Far Fast for those Europeans in Malaya who were evacuated from Malaya during the Japanese invasion and who have subsequently been brought to this country and who now wish to return to their employment in Malaya.
§ Mr. Georģe Hall:Free passages from this country to Malaya are granted to former prisoners of war and civilian internees unless. under the normal conditions of the employment to which they are returning, passages would be provided for them by their employers. Subject to the same exception any such person is also provided with free passages for his wife and children if they were evacuated from Malaya. Other persons evacuated to this country from Malaya are not, in general, eligible for free return passages but it has been suggested to the civil governments which were established in the Malayan Union and Singapore on 202W 1st April that they should appoint Committees to advise on applications from such individuals who claim that refusal to afford them this assistance would cause hardship.