§ Mrs. Tateasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he has any further information regarding the implementing of the offer by the Japanese to allow British prisoners of war and civilian internees to cable home.
§ Mr. George HallThere has been some delay in settling this question due to discussions between the International Red Cross Committee and the Japanese over the question of rates, but I am glad to inform the House that agreement on this question has just been reached, and we now only await confirmation from Tokyo that the service from the Far East has actually started. We hope, in fact, that the first confirmation will take the shape of messages from prisoners of war and civilians beginning to arrive. With regard to the outward service, the British Red Cross War Organisation have now set up the necessary machinery and are ready to accept telegrams from next of kin to prisoners of war and civilian internees in the Far East as from to-day. As in the case of inward telegrams from the Far East, the British Red Cross War Organisation have undertaken to bear the cost of telegrams to the Far East from next of kin of United Kingdom prisoners of war and civilian internees. Next of kin of each prisoner of war or internee will be allowed to send one telegram a year. Full particulars regarding the arrangements are being announced by the British Red Cross War Organisation.