British Prisoners of War (Inquiry).

Part of the debate – in the House of Commons at on 6 August 1942.

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I am perfectly prepared to believe that the whole thing was a genuine muddle, but I wish members of the Treasury Bench—I do not want to lecture them—if there was a difficulty, had come to me or to Mr. Adams and asked us what they were to do about it, and, to use what has become a favourite phrase in the War Office, "come clean in the matter," because they would have found us very ready to co-operate. Although I know I can sometimes be extraordinarily tiresome—I should not mind on certain occasions if my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for War tore me limb from limb, because I would deserve it—over this I am as innocent as a babe unborn, and yet not one Minister has said a word of regret to me. I asked a man who had nothing to do with our Parliamentary machine to co-operate for the benefit of the Government in an inquiry; I told him it was perfectly all right, and this is what happens—the terms of reference are altered and no one even says to me, "We regret there has been a muddle."