§ Sir Frederic Bennettasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will make a statement on the return of the remaining Argentine prisoners of war to Argentina prior to a definitive end to hostilities being announced from Buenos Aires.
§ Mr. OnslowAccording to article 118 of the third Geneva convention, prisoners of war are to be released and repatriated without delay after the cessation of active hostilities. As my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister explained on 13 July in reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Melton (Mr. Latham), there have been a number of indications that Argentina now accepts that active hostilities are at an end. On this basis the Government decided that it was right to return all the remaining prisoners of war, and this has been done.