asked the Secretary of State for War whether he is aware that personnel of the Polish military forces now in Palestine who are being evacuated to this country are not permitted to take their dogs with them; and whether, in view of the hardship involved, he will make arrangements to have the present Order, under which all animals belonging to Polish troops must be destroyed before leaving Palestine, withdrawn.

Polish troops are eligible to take part in the Service quarantine scheme, fully set out in Army Council Instruction 1148 of 1945, under which a limited number of dogs can be brought home under Service arrangements. The number of applications, however, under this scheme greatly exceeds the quarantine accommodation available in this country and there is a very long waiting list.

As the Polish Forces, apparently, have so few friends in this country, especially on the benches opposite, would it not be a humane act to allow them to keep those who are really faithful to them?

May I ask whether the hardship mentioned in the Question refers to the dogs or to the Poles?