§ Mr. Wedgwoodasked the Home Secretary what progress has been reported from 201W Canada since Mr. Paterson arrived in that country; how many cases have now been re-examined by him; how many internees had volunteered for the Pioneer Corps, and the number of those accepted; what is the position of those refugees who could not be taken into the Pioneer Corps for medical reasons; and whether Mr. Paterson has also arranged for the return to England of those persons whose release has been authorised?
§ Mr. H. MorrisonOne hundred and seven volunteers for the Pioneer Corps and 131 internees who appeared to be eligible for release under other categories of the White Paper have already returned to this country under arrangements which I authorised Mr. Paterson to make. In addition, 51 men whose release I had specifically authorised have been sent back to this country. Internees who are found unfit for the Pioneer Corps on medical grounds are eligible for consideration by the Tribunal set up for the purposes of the new Category 23 of the White Paper which I announced on 26th November.
§ Mr. Wedgwoodasked the Home Secretary how many Italians have volunteered for the Pioneer Corps; how many have been accepted; and are the cases of those who were rejected being re-examined by the tribunals?
§ Mr. MorrisonAccording to the latest statistics available, 259 interned Italians have volunteered for the Pioneer Corps. One hundred and fifty-six have been accepted and 50 have been rejected on medical grounds. Those rejected on medical grounds are eligible to apply for release under the new category No. 23, of the White Paper which I announced on 26th November, and any such application would be referred to the Tribunal set up for the purpose.
§ Mr. Rhys Daviesasked the Home Secretary whether he is aware that Mrs. Ellen Doring, a Welsh-speaking person, born in Wales of Welsh parents, is interned in the Rushen internment camp, Isle of Man, because she is married to an enemy alien, has made several applications for release but has not received a word-in reply; that her son, 18 years of age, has been transported to Australia and that her youngest child has been suffering from diphtheria; and will he look into the case and consider her request?
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§ Mr. MorrisonThe suggestion that the only reason for the internment of Mrs. Doring is her marriage to a German is mistaken. Many British born women who acquired enemy nationality by marriage have not been interned. Mrs. Doring was interned because the Tribunal which investigated her case felt it necessary that she should be subjected to special restrictions and placed her in Category B. Her case has been reviewed by the Advisory Committee which is sitting in the Isle of Man for the review of B Category cases, and having received the committee's report and considered all the information available about Mrs. Doring I have decided that she should be classified as Category A and that accordingly I cannot authorise her release from internment.
§ Rear-Admiral Beamishasked the Home Secretary whether he has now made provision whereby husbands and wives who are both interned may be interned in company or see each other occasionally?
§ Mr. MorrisonAs I informed my hon. and gallant Friend on 19th December, I regret that it is not possible to arrange that men and women detained under Regulation 18B shall be confined together in the same establishment. As regards visits, arrangements are being made to enable men who are detained in London to visit their wives in Holloway once a fortnight.