§ Mr. G. Thomas21, 22 and 23. asked the Secretary of State for War (1) what is the number of Suez contractors' employees interned in Egypt; and when he expects to possess the names of those concerned;
(2) whether his Department has now been able to trace the whereabouts of Mr. Ernest Hicks who served in Cairo at the time of the armed conflict in the employment of the Suez Contractors Limited, London; and whether he will make a statement;
(3) the number of British citizens interned in the English School, Heliopolis, Cairo; and when he expects to be able to obtain their release.
§ Mr. HareThe number of Suez Contractors' employees in Egypt is reported to be 474; 448 of them, including Mr. Hicks, were recruited in this country and their names are known to us. The remaining 26 were engaged in Egypt by the Contractors and we have no record of their names.
Two hundred of those interned are now living in the Victoria School at Maadi, Cairo and 274, including the locally engaged employees, in the English School at Heliopolis. There has been no marked change in their general health or living conditions since 28th November, when my hon. Friend the Joint Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs made a full statement. The Swiss authorities are doing what they can to secure satisfactory living conditions and Red Cross representatives have been paying regular visits and providing comforts. The Government are continuing to exert the strongest pressure on the Egyptian Government, through both the United Nations and the Swiss authorities, to release these internees immediately.