§ Mr. HUME-WILLIAMSasked the hon. Member for Sheffield (Central Division) whether any English women have been allowed to go to Holland in connection with canteen or other work since the arrival there of British prisoners; if so, in what numbers; whether it is now possible to allow wives and near relatives of the prisoners to visit them in small parties and for short periods; and, if not, why this cannot be done?
§ Mr. MACPHERSONI would refer my hon. and learned Friend to the answer which I gave on the 26th February to my hon. Friend the Member for Orkney and Shetland. I regret that the suggestion in the latter part of the question is impracticable.
§ Colonel Sir R. BAKERasked the hon. Member for Sheffield (Central Division) how many prisoners of war, British and Indian, have been taken by the Turks since the War commenced; and how many of these are now known to be alive?
Mr. J. HOPEI will give the figures separately for the British and Indian native prisoners. Of the British prisoners, including the Royal Navy, 438 officers and 3,870 other ranks are known to have been captured by the Turks. Of these, thirty-two officers and 274 other ranks have been666W repatriated or escaped. Fourteen officers and 1,413 other ranks have died, and 392 officers and 2,183 other ranks are still in prison camps according to the latest returns. These figures are exclusive of one officer and 635 other ranks of the Kut garrison who have never been traced. Of the Indian native prisoners, 221 officers and 7,169 other ranks are known to have been captured. Of these, six officers and 1,146 other ranks have been repatriated or escaped. Four officers and 1,298 other ranks are known to have died, and 211 officers and 4,725 other ranks are still in prison camps according to the latest returns. Two thousand six hundred of the rank and file of the Kut garrison have never been heard of.
§ Mr. PERKINSasked the hon. Member for Sheffield (Central Division) whether there is any limit to the numbers of prisoners of war agreed to be interned in Holland; and, if so, whether any arrangements have been made for the reception of additional prisoners by another neutral country?
Mr. HOPEIt is laid down in paragraph 13 of The Hague Convention that 16,000 British and German combatant and civilian prisoners of war are to be interned in Holland. The question of the transfer of further prisoners to other neutral countries has been carefully considered. Owing to the shortage of transport the only other country to which prisoners under existing conditions can be transferred is Switzerland, and the Swiss Government have stated that they are not able to increase the number of prisoners of war already interned there.