asked the Home Secretary whether he will arrange that payments made in connection with Civil Defence will be at such convenient periods as to ensure that no hardship will be involved to those undertaking Civil Defence duties?

The responsibility in this matter rests with the local authorities and I have no doubt that they will arrange for payments to be made regularly and promptly, though at the outset some delays may have occurred in particular places.

asked the Home Secretary the estimated annual cost of the salaries and wages of the various personnel which has been recruited in connection with civilian defence, whether employed by local authorities or directly under his Department?

The annual cost of the staff now employed under my Department on Civil Defence duties is estimated at approximately £1,000,000. As regards the personnel engaged by local authorities, the major part of the expenditure will be attributable to the wages of whole-time volunteers. Local authorities have been asked to furnish particulars of the numbers of persons at present on their pay roll. Until these particulars are available it is not possible to give a reliable estimate of the cost involved.

Will my right hon. Friend publish the figures when they are received from the local authorities?

If a question is put down in due course I shall endeavour to answer it.