asked the Secretary of State for War whether he has considered representations that tests are available which gauge the mental capacity of recruits; whether any such tests have been carried out; and, if so, how many recruits have been found to be defective and what proportion these bear to the numbers examined?

It is not considered practicable, in present conditions, to adopt a system of tests for gauging the mental capacity of recruits, and no such tests have been carried out.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he is aware that the military authorities refused a travelling warrant to the wife of Sergeant William Bruce, of 12, Nixon Street, Jarrow, who subsequently died, on the grounds that he was not seriously ill; and what steps he proposes to take to prevent such occurrences in future?

I have made inquiries into this very sad case. Free travelling is allowed only for the purpose of visiting a soldier who is reported as dangerously ill. In this case, the soldier had been dangerously ill in France in December, but recovered sufficiently to be transferred to this country, by which time he had even been removed from the "seriously ill" list. No adverse symptoms were observed in this country, and at the time of Mrs. Brace's application no complications were anticipated. The soldier died as the result of a sudden collapse some days later. Mrs. Bruce did in fact visit her husband at her own expense, and I am considering the possibility of making an ex gratia payment.

asked the Secretary of State for War the constitution, personnel, and functions, of the committee of reference which is working in conjunction with the Central Medical War Committee in connection with appointments of medical practitioners as surgeons in charge of divisions; and why, as such appointments carry the rank of lieutenant-colonel, they are not made by way of promotions from the Royal Army Medical Corps, instead of by the Central Medical War Committee?

The committee of reference is composed of representatives of the Royal Colleges of Surgeons and Physicians and of the British College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, and advises the Central Medical War Committee in relation to the consultant and specialist staff of the voluntary and municipal hospitals in the London area only. They also consider the professional suitability of specialists in the London area who have volunteered for the medical services of the Armed Forces and whose names are submitted to them by the Central Medical War Committee.Recommendations for specialists outside the London area for service with the Armed Forces are made by a sub-committee of the Central Medical War Committee, which sub-committee includes distinguished consultant surgeons. The appointments referred to are made by selection from officers of the Royal Army Medical Corps or from suitable civilian surgeons who volunteer for service with the Army.

asked the Secretary for Mines what arrangements have been made for the provision of petrol to members of His Majesty's Forces on short leave from service afloat or overseas who will be granted a three-weeks' licence?

I have been asked to reply. It has been arranged that active service leave petrol allowances will be issued to holders of permits at the same place and time as the permits. The arrangements in regard to the issue of these permits have not yet been finally settled by the Departments concerned.

asked the Attorney-General whether he will, for the protection of the public, open at an early date more provincial branches of the Public Trustee's department, and extend the areas of compulsory registration under the land registry, and thereby also be ready to provide, without hurry and at the last moment after demobilisation, clerical employment for demobilised men physically unfitted for heavy work?

It must be borne in mind that the expenses of both these offices are met from the fees paid by those concerned, and the scale of fees is fixed so as to cover these expenses. My Noble Friend is not satisfied that it would be a sound business transaction to open another provincial branch of the office of the Public Trustee, and the question of any further extension of the compulsory system of land registration must await the coming of more normal times.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Education whether he will give for each of the following towns: London, Manchester, Liverpool, Sheffield, Leeds and Birmingham, the percentage of elementary schoolchildren which, on 1st April, were, respectively, still in the reception areas, attending school in the home town full-time, attending school in the home town half-time, attending tutorial or home teaching classes, and not yet attending school?

Returns for 1st April are not yet available, nor is it possible to supply for any one recent date all the desired information. The following table shows for each of the areas the numbers of public elementary school children on the latest dates for which figures are available.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Education how many of the secondary schools which receive direct grant from the Board, receive in addition, grants from local authorities or aid in the form of payment of fees for special place pupils; and whether there are any schools which only receive grant from the Board?

Of the 237 secondary schools which receive direct grant from the Board, 223 receive in addition grants from local education authorities or fees in respect of pupils sent by such authorities; the remaining 14 schools receive grant only from the Board.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether the personnel of the Colonial Development and Advisory Committee is now complete; whether he will state the composition of the committee official and unofficial; whether a programme of activities has yet been determined; and whether he will lay a White Paper outlining the general plan which the committee proposes to put into operation?

All these questions are dependent upon Parliament passing the necessary legislation for carrying out the Government's proposals for Colonial Development and Welfare. Such legislation will be introduced shortly. In the meantime it is not possible to make more than tentative plans, and I am not yet in a position to make a statement.

asked the Minister of Health whether further consideration has how been given to the representations made by the Medical Practitioners Union, a large number of insurance committees and others, urging the need of the provision of medical benefit for dependants of those engaged on war work; and whether they Will be acceded to, having regard to the inability of such dependants for the most part to afford necessary medical treatment?

I assume that the hon. Member has in mind the question of the provision of medical treatment for the dependants of men serving in the Forces. I am not yet in a position to make a statement on this matter.

asked the Minister of Health how many notifications of measles and of whooping cough have been received since these diseases were made notifiable?

During the period to 23rd March, 1940, 62,667 cases of measles and 15,731 cases of whooping cough were notified under the regulations making these diseases generally notifiable in England and Wales.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether he is aware of the financial embarrassment of evacuated civil servants and in particular of the specific case of the civil servant evacuated to Blackpool who had to vacate his flat at Wanstead for which he was paying a rent of 26s. per week; who had to secure accommodation in Blackpool costing him 30s. per week plus the cost of storing his furniture, plus the hire-purchase payments on it, and who is now being sued for breaking his agreement, and has been ordered by the court to pay the full amount of rent owing since he was evacuated, by monthly instalments; and whether, in cases of this kind, greater consideration could be shown to civil servants?

Inquiry has been made of those Departments with staff at Blackpool, but it has not proved possible to identify the case to which the hon. Member is referring.

asked the Minister of Health whether the new arrangements for evacuation make any provision for babies and children under school age; if not, whether any money allowance will be made for such children if their parents can make private arrangements with hostesses in reception areas to receive them; and, if the answer is in the affirmative, will allowance also be made for the mother if she accompanies the children?

With regard to the first part of the Question, I would refer the hon. Member to the reply which I gave to the hon. Member for Romford (Mr. Parker) on 21st February, of which I am sending her a copy. With regard to the second part, billeting allowances in respect of unaccompanied children under school age who are privately accommodated would be payable under the conditions indicated in paragraph 83 of Memo. Ev. 8 and in Circular 1923 and Memo. Ev. 7, of which I am also sending the hon. Member copies. With regard to the third part, the evacuation of young children with their mothers does not form part of the Government's plans for further evacuation, and in such cases billeting allowances would not be payable.

asked the Minister of Health whether he is aware that at a meeting of medical practitioners of Battersea and Wandsworth held some time since, a resolution was passed to the effect that the terms for the staffing of first-aid posts are not conducive to the public safety; that practitioners in such area are recommended to refuse service under such terms; that the approval by the Central Emergency Committee of the British Medical Association to such terms was deplored; and whether there has been any change in the terms to which exception was taken?

I am aware of the resolution referred to in the first three parts of the Question. As regards the last part, no change has been made in the arrangements for the medical staffing of the first-aid posts, which, I am informed, have been put into operation satisfactorily in each of the two boroughs.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether the £300,000 daily spent on air-raid precautions includes the cost of war reserve police, reserved hospital accommodation and staff, and ambulance cars and trains; and will he state the average daily cost falling on the local authorities?

The figure of £300,000 given in my answer of 19th March as the current daily rate of expenditure on air-raid precautions was the total expenditure of the Ministry of Home Security on this service, including the cost of Exchequer grants to local authorities and the cost of police war reserve. It did not include expenditure which will fall as a final charge on local rates and will be met partly from loan and partly from current rate income. I am not in a position to divide such expenditure between these two elements, but the total amount to be met either from loan or rates is about £22,000 a day.The figure of £300,000 included the cost of first-aid services but did not include the cost of emergency hospital accommodation and staff and ambulance services, including trains, run in connection therewith, the current daily rate of expenditure on which is some £73,000. All approved expenditure by local authorities on the services covered by this last figure is met by Exchequer grants.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether the £36,000 daily spent on evacuation includes the cost of hotels, etc., retained and not used as well as those used; and whether he will add the daily cost to local authorities?

The figure of £36,000 given in my answer of 19th March as the current daily rate of expenditure on evacuation did not include the cost of hotels required in connection with the evacuation of Government Departments. The amount of compensation in respect of hotels, etc., requisitioned for this purpose cannot be at all closely estimated and remains for future determination. All approved expenditure by local authorities in connection with the evacuation scheme is met by Exchequer grants.

asked the Postmaster-General whether, with a view to promoting economy in the use of paper, he is now prepared to modify the terms applicable to the printed paper rate for postage?

As I promised my hon. Friend in my reply of 21st February, I am considering whether any modification is called for in the printed paper regulations. More considerations are involved than economy of paper, and I have not yet been able to reach a definite conclusion. I should be happy to consider any specific suggestions which the hon. Member may care to make.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether the Export Council has decided about the proposed Aski-Sterling barter exchange as part of the export trade drive, or is this proposal among those referred to in paragraph 3 of Cmd. 6183, which the council is hoping to examine?

No specific proposal of this kind is before the council at the present time.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether the purchase from Germany of German books and periodicals is permitted during the war?

The purchase of books and periodicals published in Germany is prohibited except under licence from the Board of Trade. The only licences granted have been for technical and scientific works and for a few other publications required here by responsible persons for purposes of national importance.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether it is the intention of His Majesty's Government to protect the inshore fisheries of the Western Isles and the livelihood of fishermen absent on active service from the depredations of illegal trawling; and when measures are to be taken for this purpose, in view of the present violation of the law by trawlers?

Owing to naval requirements it has not been possible to maintain the normal fishery protection service. I am, however, advised that the inshore fisheries have not been seriously affected by illegal trawling, but the matter is kept under observation.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland when, where and by whom was the Scottish Central Emergency Committee appointed; what is its constitution and functions; will he give the names of its members and the number of its members who are not members of, or directly or indirectly connected with, the British Medical Association?

On 1st September, 1939, in accordance with pre-arranged plans drawn up by the Government, I instructed the Scottish Secretary of the British Medical Association to convene the Scottish Central Medical War Committee. This is, I imagine, the Committee which the hon. Member has in mind. Its constitution is shown by the appended list of members. Its functions are to advise the Government on the allocation of doctors in Scotland to His Majesty's Forces and to civilian services connected with the war, and generally to represent the profession in Scotland in any negotiations with the Government affecting questions of medical personnel. The information asked for in the last part of the Question is not available, but it will be observed that the majority of the members have been appointed independently of any connection they may have with the British Medical Association.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what improvements have been made by and with assistance from the Department of Agriculture for Scotland at Luskentyre, Isle of Harris, in the matter of providing the smallholders access to the sea-weed manure necessary for improving their sandy soil?

I would refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 16th May last. The offer of a contribution of £200 to assist the holders to construct a cart access for the purpose of securing sea ware still remains open.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether, in order to encourage breeding of livestock and expansion of agricultural production in the Outer Hebrides, he will take measures to have the Park Deer Forest, Isle of Lewis, broken up for productive use by the island crofters this year, in view of the fact that this wide area is at present producing nothing of public value?

The lands in question are, I am advised, unsuitable for subdivision into smallholdings, but the Agricultural Executive Committee for Lewis and Harris, who are charged with the duty of securing increased agricultural production in that area, are in communication with the proprietors with a view to arranging for an immediate increase in the sheep stock carried on the forest lands and the provision of grazing for crofters' cattle.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether his attention has been called to the decision of the Court of Session in the case of the petition and complaint against Hutchison Wells, fisherman, Kincardine, in favour of the fisherman; whether, now this action is over, he will institute an inquiry into all the circumstances concerning the now clearly unjustified ban on the salmon fishing of the Forth; and whether the fishing rights can now be restored to the fishermen of Clackmannanshire and Stirlingshire?

I have seen reports of the court decision referred to. I am making inquiries into the matter and will communicate with the hon. Member as soon as they are completed.