asked the Minister of Agriculture what steps he is taking to ensure that advantage is not being taken or confusion of thought created in certain cases where members of the Government Agricultural Publicity and Intelligence Committee are also editors of so-called independent news sheets?

There is no ground for the suggestion that advantage of the kind indicated is or could be taken. Nor do I see how confusion of thought could arise in the minds of anyone who understands the purpose and functions of the Publicity Committee, which advises me as to the best way in which to communicate information and advice in regard to the food production campaign to the agricultural community.

Does my right hon. and gallant Friend appreciate the importance of separating the true from the false and the real from the unreal? Perhaps my right hon. Friend will be good enough to confer with me afterwards.

I shall be glad to do so.

What is the secretary of the Farmers' Union to do when his duty as a member of this committee requires him to extol the Government's policy and his duty to the farmers requires him to criticise it?

His duty does not require him to extol it at all. He can take his own line on any given subject.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether he will state, in connection with the Publicity Committee of his Department, the exact relationship between this committee and the news sheet which is issued twice weekly by the National Farmers' Union?

My advisory committee on publicity has no responsibility for, or connection with, the news sheet issued by the National Farmers' Union. I understand that this news sheet has been issued for nearly 20 years.

Is my right hon. and gallant Friend aware that the matter cannot be so lightly dismissed? Perhaps he will kindly confer with me afterwards?

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether he can state the total amount paid in subsidies to farmers in the last recorded year; and the number of individual recipients?

As the answer involves a number of figures, I will, with

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether he will give up-to-date figures relating to subsidies under the following heads: complete derating of agricultural land, sugar subsidy and remission of excise, subsidy in respect of milk and milk products, land fertility improvement payments, cattle and sheep

Can my right hon. and gallant Friend say whether that amount is likely to be exceeded in the current year?

No, Sir, not at present.

Is the Minister aware that the farmers are dissatisfied with the amount that they are now receiving?

Will the right hon. and gallant Gentleman see to it that the landowners are not allowed to increase rents during the war and for five years afterwards?

As the answer involves a number of figures, I will, with the hon. Member's permission, circulate it in the Official Report.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether he has considered the representations from the Gloucestershire War Agricultural Executive Committee about the damage caused by withdrawing the grants for heavy-horse breeding; whether any final decision has been arrived at in the matter; and whether he will arrange for further consultation with the interests concerned?

I have considered representations from the Gloucestershire War Agricultural Executive Committee urging the resumption of the grants for heavy horse breeding, but, as indicated in replies to other recent Questions on this subject, I regret that I cannot see my way to rescind the decision to suspend the grants.

asked the Minister of Agriculture how many additional allotments have been provided

I am expecting to receive returns within the next week or so. The number of allotments made available by the London County Council in their parks and open spaces is 6,630. Full information as to the number of allotments provided by the metropolitan borough councils is not yet available.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether he is aware that in certain parts of the country wood-pigeons are not classified as vermin, and therefore, the police can prosecute in cases where action to destroy these pests is taken on Sundays; and, in view of the urgent importance of using every effort to reduce their number, whether he will at once introduce legislation to enable these birds to be shot on Sundays?

I am not quite clear in what circumstances prosecutions have been brought against owners or occupiers, or persons authorised by them, who shoot wood-pigeons on their land on Sundays; and if my hon. Friend will send me particulars of any case I will go into the matter with my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Home Affairs, who is responsible for the administration of the Wild Birds Protection Acts.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether he is aware that there are many farmers who ploughed up their land in October, 1939, who have not yet received the £2 grant; that in many cases such grant is required for seeds, fertilisers, and other equipment; and, in these circumstances whether he will insist upon greater expedition in these payments?

In normal cases, the ploughing-up grant is paid within a few days after the receipt of a certificate from the appropriate county war agricultural executive committee that the lands have been properly ploughed, and have been, or will be, brought into a state of cleanliness and fertility and planted with an approved crop. If the hon. Member will send me particulars of the cases to which he refers, I will gladly have inquiries made.

Will the right hon. and gallant Gentleman ask the county agricultural executive to make a special effort to ensure that payment is expedited as quickly as possible? The farmers who are responding to this call are in need of this money at the earliest possible moment.

indicated assent.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether the National Stud is being maintained in the Irish Free State during the war; to what extent the activities of this establishment contribute to the development of horses suitable for use on farms in Great Britain; and whether arrangements can now be made to transfer this establishment to the United Kingdom?

There is at present no intention of closing down the National Stud at Tully, County Kildare, Eire, or of transferring it to this country. The activities of the National Stud, which consist in the breeding of high class thoroughbreds and thus contribute to the improvement of the light horse, are not intended to assist the development of horses suitable for use on farms.

asked the Minister of Health whether he will state the names and accommodation of hospitals in Wales; their special functions and the prospects of increasing out-patient, isolation, maternity and general hospital accommodation in the near future?

There are in Wales 213 hospitals and institutions of various kinds, providing a total of 14,326 beds. Further schemes now in progress will provide for 385 further beds. Also, as the hon. Member knows, 800 more beds will be provided by hutted hospitals at Denbigh and Chepstow. I am sending the hon. Member full particulars of the names, accommodation and functions of each of the existing hospitals and also of the further schemes in progress.

asked the Minister of Health whether he will favourably consider applications from local authorities for the construction of dwelling-houses, particularly where population has increased due to Government establishments?

I can assure the hon. Member that applications from local authorities for permission to build houses necessary to accommodate workers in the war factories have received and are continuing to receive my prompt and sympathetic consideration.

Would my right hon. Friend give special consideration to places like Plymouth where the overcrowding is terrific owing to the large number of people employed in the dockyards?

All these matters are reviewed and allocations of necessary materials are made as promptly as possible, but, of course, no single area can get priority over another.

Considering how much Plymouth and Devonport do they ought to have priority.

asked the Minister of Health whether, in view of the serious deterioration in much of the poorer kind of residential property in certain parts of London, he will now relax the restrictions imposed on local authorities for building purposes during the war?

I regret that, owing to the demand on materials for other purposes, I am not in a position to adopt the suggestion made by the hon. Member. As I have already stated, I am most anxious that the building schemes of local authorities should proceed as soon as circumstances permit.

asked the Minister of Health whether he will speed up the long delays now occurring in straightforward cases between the application for a widows' pension and its grant?

I am aware that there has been some delay, which I much regret, in the award of widows' pensions under the Contributory Pensions Acts. This has been due not only to an increase in the number of claims but also to the temporary dislocation caused by the evacuation of the staffs concerned and to the depletion of these staffs. Every effort is being made to deal with the claims promptly and the hon. Member may rest assured that there is no avoidable delay.

asked the Minister of Health whether he is aware that Mrs. Atkins, Sarum Road, Lime house, London, E.13, applied for a widows' pension in November last; that she received a reply from Blackpool on 20th February saying the matter was receiving attention, but no decision has yet been notified to her; and will he take steps to get the case dealt with without further delay?

Mrs. Atkins' application for a widow's pension was received in my Department on 13th December, 1939. She was at that date already in receipt of an old age pension under the Contributory Pensions Acts, and she continued to receive this pension until 19th March, 1940. Her pension order book was then recalled, in order that the date up to which pension had already been paid might be verified, and a widow's pension order book commencing on the appropriate date prepared. The new order book was issued on 8th April, 1940, and Mrs. Atkins was advised to this effect.

asked the Minister of Health whether the need for the continued derating of industrial hereditaments still exists; and whether he will consider the question of introducing legislation requiring occupiers of industrial hereditaments to pay their full rate?

Derating was a measure of permanent reform in the system of local taxation, and was accompanied by grants which are an integral feature of the financial arrangements between the Exchequer and local authorities. I do not contemplate the introduction of legislation with the object of reversing these provisions.

asked the Minister of Health whether he is aware that the failure of parents to register their children for evacuation and the increase in the number of children returning to evacuation areas is largely due to the difficulties experienced by parents when desiring to visit their children; and will he take steps to minimise the transport difficulties which in many cases could be obviated?

The answer to the first part of the Question is in the negative, and my information is that the rate of return of evacuated children has generally decreased in recent months. If the hon. Member will be good enough to send me particulars of any cases in which parents wishing to visit evacuated children have encountered transport difficulties, I shall be happy to consider the matter, in consultation with my right hon. Friend the Minister of Transport.

I shall be pleased to send such information to the right hon. Gentleman. Is he aware that arrangements which have been made for parents to visit their children have been interfered with, with the result that a number of children have been brought back to London?

I do not think that the arrangements have been interfered with, but I shall be glad to receive any particulars.

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that there are no facilities, cheap fares or anything else, for Scottish parents wishing to visit their children?

There are such facilities in Scotland, but in Glasgow it was not found possible for the local authorities to take advantage of them.

asked the Minister of Health whether he will arrange for at least one official in each office dealing with supplementary pensions to be available for advising sympathetically, old people regarding their rights and difficulties under the new Act?

I am assured by the Assistance Board that, in making their arrangements, the point made by the hon. Member will be kept carefully in mind.

asked the Minister of Health whether local authorities are using M and B 693 in their institutions?

Yes, Sir.

asked the Minister of Health the number of camps built by the National Camps Corporation, Limited, at present built and occupied; and whether it is proposed to authorise the building of any further camps?

Of the 31 camps built by the National Camps Corporation, Limited, six are now occupied and nine more will be occupied before the end of this month. The question whether further camps should be built and, if so, on what lines, will come under review in due course.

Will the Minister see that no more camps costing £3,000,000 are built, when they hold only about 350 children?

I should like to know whether any such camps have been constructed.

That is what we should like to know, too.

asked the Minister of Health what instruction has been issued, or is proposed to be issued, against members of local authorities accepting emergency appointments, particularly in connection with food control?

asked the Minister of Health what instructions have been issued which prevent members of a local authority accepting appointments other than with their own authorities?

I have not issued, and have no authority to issue, any such instructions.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) the present position with regard to the deflooding scheme pertaining to the Kelvin Valley, Dumbartonshire;

The present position with regard to the River Kelvin drainage scheme is that the weir and rocks at Killermont Bridge have been removed, the channel below the bridge deepened, and work is proceeding on the stretches of the river from Killermont Bridge to the junction of the Kelvin and Luggie Water and on the Allander Water. The area of agricultural land which will benefit as a result of the scheme is approximately 4,000 acres.

Can the hon. and gallant Gentleman give the approximate date when this work is expected to be completed?

No, Sir; not without notice.

asked the Secretary to the Overseas Trade Department whether, in view of the difficulties caused to British exporters of textile goods by the inability of textile manufacturers to quote firm prices, he will take steps, in co-operation with the Export Council, to overcome this handicap to our export trade?

:The Export Council is in close consultation with the Ministry of Supply and the appropriate export groups as to the various steps which can be taken to assist exporters to quote firm prices.

The reply is in very broad terms. I asked whether steps are being taken to deal with this specific difficulty. If so, what are those steps?

There are about 12 export groups formed, or in process of formation, for the textile industry. Each one of these will get in touch with the appropriate controller, to try to secure the principle the hon. Gentleman has in mind.