§ Mr. J. Lewisasked the Secretary of State for War how many courts-martial of British troops in Egypt, on charges of theft, have taken place during the past year; how many convictions have ensued; and what is the average period of detention.
§ Mr. ShinwellDuring 1949, 129 British soldiers have been tried by court-martial in Egypt on charges of theft. One hundred and twenty-four have been convicted. The average period of detention or imprisonment awarded is some six months.
§ Mr. J. Lewisasked the Secretary of State for War if he is aware that General Headquarters in the Middle East Land Forces has instructed that no court of inquiry should be held in respect of any theft under £2,000 value sterling in No. 33 Supply Rear Depot; and what is the reason for this.
§ Mr. ShinwellAuthority has been given until 31st March, 1950, for courts of enquiry to be dispensed with in the Middle East, at the discretion of the Commander-in-Chief, where losses do not exceed £2,500. The instructions issued limit this to losses where the loss is not due to fraud or negligence, the loss was not occasioned by an officer or soldier and those responsible cannot be identified. This authority was given because the large tonnages of stores and supplies at present held, the dispersed nature of the depots, the lack of adequate 369W guards and the determination of local thieves have resulted in so many large scale thefts taking place that officers who were already overburdened with their other duties were finding it impossible to deal with repeated formal courts of enquiry. Although courts of enquiry may be dispensed with, there will, of course, still be an investigation, normally by the Special Investigation Branch, into the circumstances of each loss.