Captain Shawasked the Home Secretary whether his Department has at any time prevented British subjects detained under the Defence of the Realm Order 18B from communicating with their Members of Parliament?
§ Mr. H. MorrisonThe practice has been to tell detained persons that representations about their detention should be made to the Secretary of State and not to other persons holding public positions: and that the facilities for correspondence are only intended to enable the detained person to keep in touch with his relatives or personal acquaintances. I have, however, reviewed this question and given directions that in future letters to Members of Parliament shall be allowed within the number permitted by the rules regardless of the consideration whether the836W writer has or has not any personal acquaintance with the Member.
§ Mr. Sorensenasked the Home Secretary what progress has been made in reviewing the position of those detained on security grounds; how many are still detained and how many have been released; and whether these detenues now endure long periods of solitary confinement?
§ Mr. MorrisonTwo new committees have recently been appointed to deal with cases of Italian origin and this has considerably relieved the pressure on the original committees. All the committees are disposing of cases as rapidly as possible and I hope it will not be long before all outstanding appeals have been heard. The number under detention on 30th September was 1,381 and up to that date 248 persons had been released. It is not practicable in prisons to avoid keeping these persons in their cells for a great part of the day but more than a third of the number are now detained in a camp and arrangements are being made in the near future to transfer a further large number to another camp which is being provided.
§ Mr. Stokesasked the Home Secretary when the case of Mrs. Kathleen Bidie, of Church Hill House, Haslemere, arrested under Section 18B, on 6th June, and against whom no charge has been preferred, will be heard by the Advisory Committee; and what has been the reason for such a long delay.
§ Mr. MorrisonI am informed that the Advisory Committee heard this case on 9th October.
§ Mr. Stokesasked the Home Secretary whether he will give the reason for the detention of Mr. G. H. Stock in Walton Prison, Liverpool, and when his case will be heard and by whom.
§ Mr. MorrisonMr. Stock was detained on 23rd September under Defence Regulation 18B as having been recently concerned in the preparation or instigation of acts prejudicial to the public safety or the defence of the realm. He has made objections to the Advisory Committee, which will hear his case as soon as practicable, but there are a considerable number of cases awaiting hearing where the detention orders were made before that of Mr. Stock.