asked the Secretary of State for War whether he will now arrange that when so desired by the relatives, arrangements be made to bring back to this country the bodies of military personnel killed or dying overseas on service.

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my predecessor on 29th April to the hon. and gallant Member for the Isle of Ely (Major Legge-Bourke), to which I have at present nothing to add.

But is the right hon. Gentleman aware that the present rule was based on the totally different conditions of war time, and in view of the small number of these cases, and of the fact that certain relatives attach great importance to this matter, could it not be reconsidered?

The general policy as regards the care of these graves is under consideration, but a date has not yet been fixed for determining how soon it will be possible for relatives to visit those graves.

The right hon. Gentleman seems to have misapprehended the Question. The point which I desired to put to him was the case of men dying at present overseas whose relatives wish their bodies to be brought now to this country, and not the case of previous war graves. Can that rule be reconsidered?

That is precisely one of the matters now under consideration. It may not be possible to allow the return of the bodies of those who have died in the past and are interred overseas, but the question of allowing the return of the bodies of Service men who die overseas after a date to be fixed, is now being considered.