§ 81. Major Symondsasked the Secretary of State for War the reasons for the delay in granting passages to Japan for the wives and families of members of the British Commonwealth Occupation Force, in view of the fact that families of members of the United States Occupation 371W Force and also of British civilians have already arrived there.
§ Mr. BellengerIt has been agreed in principle that the wives and families of members of the British Commonwealth Occupation Force should be allowed to go to Japan, but before any scheme is started the Commander-in-Chief has been asked to report on local conditions and accommodation. In any case local conditions and the shortage of shipping will prevent more than a very few families being granted passages to Japan for a considerable time to come. The only British civilians who have been given priority over Service families for passages to the Far East are officials of the civilian governments and those who are being repatriated to their homes there.