§ Mr. Kirkwoodasked the Home Secretary what steps he takes to satisfy himself that orders for internment or detention of persons, to whom it is never intended to give any public trial before the lawfully constituted courts of the realm, are not made for malicious and indirect motives?
§ Sir J. AndersonAll orders for detention under Regulation 18B are made, or in some cases confirmed, by me; and it is my duty to satisfy myself in every case that the detention of the person concerned is necessary on one or other of the grounds specified in the Regulation.
§ Mr. Gledhillasked the Home Secretary how many Class C aliens were interned; and how many have since been released?
§ Sir J. AndersonApproximately 13,000 Germans and Austrians in category C have been interned. Of these a net total of 616 have been released.
§ Mr. Wedgwoodasked the Home Secretary how many aliens who served with the Auxiliary Military Pioneer Corps or the Czech Army in France and Flanders, are now interned in this country?
§ Sir J. AndersonI am not at present in a position to supply the information asked for, but I will have inquiries made and will communicate with my right hon. Friend.
§ Mr. Wedgwoodasked the Home Secretary whether, as British Fascists detained in prison are permitted to buy newspapers, food and drink, he will state the reasons why anti-Nazi aliens interned in prisons and camps in this country are not allowed to do so?
§ Sir J. AndersonMy right hon. Friend appears to be misinformed. Internees are permitted to buy newspapers and to receive parcels of food from outside, and in addition canteens have been or are being provided at internment camps at which certain kinds of food can be bought. I am considering whether it is necessary, and practicable, to provide any further facilities of this kind in the camps.
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§ Mr. Wedgwoodasked the Home Secretary why Dr. Rudolf Lipsschitz, a Palestinian citizen, was interned on 25th June; and when he will be released from Central Promenade Camp, Isle of Man?
§ Sir J. AndersonThis man was interned because he was registered as of German nationality. I have now considered all the circumstances and have given directions for his release.
§ Mr. Bartlettasked the Home Secretary whether he has yet decided to base the policy of the internment of aliens upon considerations of their proven hostility to National Socialism or Fascism rather than upon their immediate utility to the British Government?
§ Sir J. AndersonI propose to deal with this matter during the Debate on the Motion for the Adjournment.
§ Mr. Bartlettasked the Home Secretary what arrangements are being made to enable Italian internees to apply for release from internment?
§ Sir J. AndersonAs I announced in the statement which I made on 23rd July, the arrangements in the White Paper (Cmd. 6217) presented on 31st July extend so far as applicable to Italians.
§ Mr. C. Wilsonasked the Home Secretary whether he can state, in regard to persons interned in transitional camps, the stage at which such persons were transferred from his control to military control; the form which such transfer took; were lists supplied; and, if so, what information did they contain in addition to the name of the internee?
§ Sir J. AndersonMale aliens of enemy nationality arrested by the police for internment were handed over to the military authority for custody as soon as possible after their arrest. The police had standing instructions that a nominal roll showing the internees' names and the numbers of their passports and registration certificates should be handed over to the military authorities at the time when the internees were handed over into military custody.
§ Mr. C. Wilsonasked the Home Secretary why Home Office Registration No. 4031, an internee of 16½ years of age, working as an engineer trainee, for 1478W whom full responsibility for his education, training and maintenance until he was 18 years of age had, early in 1939, been arranged with the Home Office, has been transported to Australia; and, seeing that no official communication whatever has been sent at any time to the person who accepted responsibility, who is to be held responsible for this state of affairs; and whether the same method is to be pursued in any other cases; and what is the position of the person who accepted responsibility for this boy?
§ Sir J. AndersonThe case cannot be identified from the particulars given, but if my hon. Friend will send me the name of the boy to whom he refers I will have inquiry made and communicate with him. As regards future cases, it is not at present proposed that any internees shall be sent overseas except those who are willing to go.
§ Mr. Kirkwoodasked the Prime Minister whether he will direct an inquiry under the Tribunals Act, 1921, into the circumstances connected with the issue of the recent orders for the general internment of aliens; and whether he will direct the same tribunal to inquire into the circumstances in which large numbers of aliens were placed upon the "Arandora Star."
§ Mr. AttleeThe answer to the first part of the Question is in the negative. The decision was taken by His Majesty's Government, with whom the responsibility rests. As to the second part of the Question, I see no reason for an Inquiry under the Tribunals of Inquiry (Evidence) Act, 1921, but my Noble Friend Lord Snell has been asked to undertake an inquiry into the selection of aliens to be sent overseas in the "Arandora Star."
§ Colonel Clarkeasked the Home Secretary whether he can state the whereabouts of Paul Hornig, an Austrian refugee student of Aberdeen University, of whom his parents have heard nothing since he was shipped to Canada on 2nd July?
§ Sir J. AndersonI would refer my hon. and gallant Friend to the reply given on the 20th August to a Question by the hon. Member for the English Universities. I am not at present in a position to state in what camp Paul Hornig is interned in Canada, but letters will be forwarded to him if addressed: 1479W c/o The Director of Internment Operations, Base Army Post Office, Ottawa.
§ Sir R. Aclandasked the Home Secretary whether he can give definite information of the whereabouts of Dr. Martin Strauss, No. 75387, Camp 009/3E, Huyton?
§ Sir J. AndersonNo internee of the name and number given can be traced, but there is at Huyton Camp a man with a different number named Hermann David Martin Strauss.
§ Mr. Wedgwoodasked the Home Secretary how many aliens of different categories are now interned in this country; and how many, and of what categories, have been sent overseas to date?
§ Sir J. AndersonSo far as is known, the only "A" category internees now in this country are 71 German survivors of the "Arandora Star" and a few others recently classified as "A". Precise information is not at present available regarding the numbers of internees in the "B" and "C" categories respectively. The total numbers sent overseas are:
Category "A" 2,358 Categories "B" and "C" 4,206
§ Captain Ellistonasked the Home Secretary whether steps have been taken to enable interned friendly aliens to rejoin their wives and families when a medical certificate has been submitted showing that the wife's health is seriously affected by the separation; and why the application of Mr. Ernst Michel David, from the Isle of Man, to rejoin his wife was refused by the Home Office, as recently as 15th August?
§ Sir J. AndersonEach such case is considered in the light of the medical certificate and such other information as is available, but in some cases further inquiries are necessary to ascertain whether the circumstances are such as to justify the alien's release on grounds of special hardship. I will look into the individual case referred to and will communicate with my hon. and gallant Friend.
§ Captain Ellistonasked the Home Secretary whether, in view of the general anxiety in regard to the treatment of friendly aliens, he will state what number in each of the 18 categories provided in 1480W the White Paper, Cmd. 6217, have been released from internment since the publication of that paper; and what is the total number of males and females, respectively, still held in the internment camps in this country?
§ Sir J. AndersonThe White Paper was published on the 31st July. Eight hundred and five internees who come within one or other of the categories of eligibility have been released, and inquiries are proceeding in some 1,500 other cases. I cannot at present give the number of releases in espect of each category. Approximately 15,800 men and 3,800 women are still interned.
§ Mr. R. Morganasked the Home Secretary whether he is aware that Dr. Liebermann, a Class C alien, 67 years of age, who was recently interned, was about to open a factory for the production of X-ray tubes; and whether, in view of the fact that there are only two firms in this country at present producing such tubes, and that a large part of our supplies have to be imported from the United States of America, he will investigate, at the earliest opportunity, whether it is possible to release Dr. Liebermann, to enable him to continue with his enterprise?
§ Sir J. AndersonI am making inquiries into this case and will communicate with my hon. Friend as soon as possible.