§ 29. Mr. GibbTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps his Department took to ensure that his report following the review of the administration of the pay of officer prisoners of war and protected personnel in German and Italian hands during the second world war, published on 23 July, reflected the first-hand experiences of the officers involved. [16825]
§ Mr. SpellarMy decision on the Review of officer Prisoner of War and Protected Personnel pay deductions took full account of the lengthy submissions of the officers and Protected Personnel, their meetings with the previous Minister and the letters many of them wrote, all of which reflected their first hand experiences. This work also examined the considerable weight of contemporary evidence which survives.
The main concern of the Review was to examine the pay policy which covered these servicemen, and to consider the decisions which formed it and its implementation. It is clear that those concerned with this policy had a number of sources of detailed information about the views and circumstances of those in the camps, ranging from the formal Reports of Red Cross and other visits, to communications with individuals raising questions about their own pay.