§ 92 and 93. Mr. Skeffington-Lodgeasked the Secretary of State for War (1) how many prisoners of war have been returned in an unfit condition; what were the means of transport used for the journey; and what type of arrangements were made for their reception and treatment on the Continent;
(2) the Government's policy regarding the repatriation of prisoners of war who are medically unfit; and whether, in view of conditions in Germany, he will arrange to retain men who are ill and are anxious to stay in Britain till their recovery.
§ Mr. BellengerIt is the policy to repatriate prisoners of war who are permanently unfit, whether from wounds or illness. Since the end of hostilities 58,312 Germans have been sent home, 10,625 in hospital ships and 47,687 in troopships. Walking cases who do not require further hospital treatment are returned by troopship to Cuxhaven, and are discharged from Munsterlager Camp to their homes. Cases requiring further hospital treatment and all amputation cases are returned direct to Hamburg by hospital ship. They enter hospital in Hamburg and are there discharged from the Army. They then become the responsibility of the German Public Health Department. No man is sent home either by troopship or hospital ship if medical opinion is satisfied that it would be detrimental to his health to repatriate him, but those who reach the necessary standard of disability are repatriated when the requisite stage of convalescence has been reached and in many cases the return of these men to their families is a valuable aid to their early recovery.