§ Lieut.-Colonel Macnamaraasked the Prime Minister whether he is satisfied with reliance on a voluntary organisation for the service of prisoners of war; whether lie will consider having the matter handled by a separate Department for which a Minister would be directly responsible; and whether other Governments, or even voluntary organisations in neutral countries, such as the American Red Cross, the Uruguay Red Cross or the Argentine Red Cross, have been asked to contribute parcels, too?
§ The Prime MinisterWith regard to the first two parts of the Question, I would refer my hon. and gallant Friend to the answer given to the hon. and gallant Member for Wycombe (Sir A. Knox) on 5th November, 1940. As regards the last part of the Question, other Governments have not been invited to contribute parcels for British prisoners of war, but British residents or organisations in foreign countries in sending parcels for British prisoners of war have been able to count on the co-operation and assistance of the national Red Cross Societies in those countries.
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§ Dr. Littleasked the Secretary of State for War whether, as our prisoners of war in Germany are still suffering from short rations of food, and also from lack of proper clothing, he will take steps, in association with the Red Cross Society, to have this state of affairs remedied by getting through more parcels of food and adequate clothing without delay?
§ Mr. LawI can assure my hon. Friend that the Government and the British Red Cross Society are doing everything in their power to expedite the delivery of adequate supplies of food and clothing to British prisoners of war in Germany, and there is evidence to show that there has been a very great improvement in the position in recent months. As an example of this improvement, I may mention that, in the case of food parcels, the number of acknowledgments from camp leaders received in this country during March was nearly three times the total number received during the whole of the preceding period.